LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

RECEIVED    BY    EXCHANGE 

Class           ^'LL  -z- 

STUDIES     IN    PHILOLOGY 


VOL. 


CHAUCER'S  RELATIVE  CONSTRUCTIONS 


I.OUIS  ROUND   WILSON 


PIIBLISHED  UXDEE  THE  DIRECTION  Oir 

THE  PHILOLOGIOAL  CLUB  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


CHAPSL  Hrf 
THE   UNIVERSr 

I'JOt; 


rcnivevorg/deta^^^^ 


STUDIES    IN    PHILOLOGY 


VOL.  I 


CHAUCER'S  RELATIVE  CONSTRUCTIONS 

BY 

LOUIS  ROUND   WILSON 

LIBRARIAN   OF   THE    UNIVERSITY   OF   NORTH   CAROLINA 


A  Dissertation  presButed  to  the  Faculty  of  the  University  of  North 

Carolina  as  a  partial  requirement  for  the  degree  of 

Doctor  of  Philosophy 


PUBLISHED  UNDETTTHEdIREOTION  OF 

THE  PHILOLOGIOAL  CLUB  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

CHAPEL  HILL 

THE   UNIVERSITY   PRESS 

1906 


THE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 
CHAPEL  HILL. 


TO 

MY  FATHER  AND  MOTHER 


1Gf;217 


PREFACE 

Althoug-h  this  paper  has  to  do  solely  with  Chaucer's  rela- 
tive constructions,  it  has  been  prepared  with  the  hope  that, 
so  far  as  it  extends,  it  may  help  to  fix  one  construction  of 
Middle  English  syntax  which  hitherto  has  received  but  little 
consideration.  While  it  embraces  sug-g^estions  from  a  number 
of  sources,*  it  has  been  based  upon  a  careful  study  of  W.  W. 
Skeat's  five  volume  edition  of  The  Complete  Works  of  Geoffrey 
Chaucer^  published  by  the  Clarendon  Press,  1894-1900. f  It  has 
taken  for  granted  that  the  pronoun  that  is  the  predominant 
Chaucerian  relative,  and  that  the  pleonastic  that^  which  is 
constantly  used  after  relatives,  conjunctions,  and  adverbs, 
does  not  in  any  way  aflfect  the  value  of  the  relative  which  it 
follows.  I  All  comparative  fig-ures  found  in  the  body  of  the 
paper,  not  specifically  accounted  for  in  the  parag-raph  in 
which  they  occur,  are  taken  from  Trotlus  and  Criseyde.  Dif- 
ferences in  citations  appearing-  in  Schrader's  Das  Altenglische 
Relativpronomen  mit  besonderer  herilcksichtigung  der  sprache 
Chaucer's  and  in  this  paper  are  to  be  attributed  to  the  differ- 
ences in  the  editions  used.  Differences  between  that  and 
which  are  g-iven  in  Chapters  II  and  III  rather  than  in  Chap- 
ter I. 

*See  Bibliography,  p.  1. 

+Vol.  I.,  ed.  2,  1899;  vol.  II.,  ed.  2,  1900;  vol.  Ill,  1894;  vol.  IV.,  ed.  2, 
1900;  vol.  v.,  1894. 

{E.  A.  Kock,  p.  66,  §149:  "During  the  13-15  centuries  that  was  often 
attached  to  relative  pronouns,  as  well  as  to  interrogative  pronouns, 
adverbs,  and  conjunctions,  apparently  without  modifying  their  signifl- 
catious." 

v 


CONTENTS 

PAGK 

Bibliography 1 

Abbreviations 3 

Method  of  Citation 5 

CHAPTER  I 
Demonstrative  Rei,atives  (§§  1-4) 6 

CHAPTER  H 

Interrogative  Relatives  (§§  5-25) 13 

CHAPTER  in 
Differences  between  That  and  Which  (§§26-27)....  32 

CHAPTER  IV 
General  Relatives  (§§28-32) 34 

CHAPTER  V 
Relation  Expressed  through  As  (§§33-36) 36 

CHAPTER  VI 

Relation  Expressed   through   Relative   Adverbs 

(§37) 39 

CHAPTER  VII 

Omission  in  the  Relative  Sentence  (§  38) 41 

yii 


viii  Contents 

CHAPTER  VIII 
Concord  in  the  Relative  Sentence  (§§  39-40) 44 

CHAPTER  IX 

The  Structure  of  Chaucer's  Relative   Sentence 

(  §  §  41-46) 49 

Summary 57 

lylFE 59 

Index ." 60 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Special  treatises,  introductions,  dictionaries,  and  g-lossaries 
which  have  afforded  direct  material  or  suggestions  for  this 
paper,  are  mentioned  below: 

C.  S.  Baldwin,  The  Inflections  and  Syntax  of  the  Morte 
d* Arthur  of  Sir  Thomas  Malory.     Boston,  1894. 

B.  ten  Brink,  The  Language  and  Metre  of  Chaucer,  Lon- 
don, 190L 

A.  Darmesteter,  A  Historical  French  Grammar.  London, 
1899. 

E.  Kinenkel,  "Syntax".  Grundriss  der  Germanischen  Phi- 
lologies I.  Band.     Strassburg,  1901. 

O.  F.  Emerson,  The  History  of  the  English  Language. 
New  York,  1903. 

W.  Franz,  Shakespeare- Grammatik.     Halle,  1900. 

J.  C.  Harris,  Told  by  Uncle  Remus.     New  York,  1905. 

J.  C.  Harris,  Uncle  Remus  and  his  Friends.  New  York, 
1892. 

L.  Kellner,  Historical  Outlines  of  English'  Syntax.  Lon- 
don, 1892. 

L.  Kellner,  Ed.,C«;v/o«'5  Blanchardyn  and  Eglantine.  Lon- 
don,  1890. 

C.  F.  Koch,  Historische  Grammatik  der  Englischen  Sprache^ 
II.  Band.     Cassell,  1878. 

E.  A.  Kock,  The  English  Relative  Pronouns,  A  Critical 
Essay.     Lund,  1897. 

S.  Lanier,  Poems.     New  York,  1892. 

E.  Miitzner,  Englische  Grammatik,  III.  Band.    Berlin,  1885. 

W.  E.  Mead,  Ed.,  Selections  from  Sir  Tho^nas  Malory'' s 
Morte  d: Arthur.     Boston,  1901. 

R.  Morris,  Historical  Outlines  of  English  Accidence.  Lon- 
don, 1894. 

1 


2  Louis  Round  Wilson 

R.  Morris,  Ed.,  Chaucer:  The  Prologue,  The  Knightes 
Tale,  The  Nonne  Preestes  Tale,  from  The  Canterbury  Tales. 
Oxford,  1898. 

R.  Morris  and  W.  Skeat,  Eds.,  Specimens  of  Early  English, 
I.  and  II.      Oxford,  1898. 

J.  A.  H.  Murray,  Ed.,  A  New  English  Dictionary  on  His- 
torical Principles,  I.     Oxford,  1888. 

J.  C.  Nesfield,  English  Grammar  Past  and  Present.  Lon- 
don, 1901. 

P.  Noack,  Eine  Geschichte  der  relativen  Pronomina  in  der 
englischen  Sprache.     Gotting^en,  1882. 

C.  T,  Onions,  An  Advanced  English  Syntax.    London,  1904. 

A.  Rohs,  Syntaktische  Untersuchungen  zu  Bacon''s  Essays. 
Marburg-,  1889. 

A.  Schmidt,  Shakespeare  Lexicon,  II.     Berlin,  1902. 

A.  Schrader,  Das  Altenglische  Relativpronotnen  mit  beson- 
derer  beriicksichtigung  der  sprache  Chaucer's.     Kiel,  1880. 

W.  W.  Skeat,  Ed.,  Specimens  of  English  Literature,  1394- 
1579.     Oxford,  1892. 

C.  Alphonso  Smith,  An  Old  English  Grammar  and  Exercise 
Book.     Boston,  1896. 

C.  Alphonso  Smith,  "Shakespeare's  Present  Indicative 
6'-Ending-s  with  Plural  Subjects. "  Publications  of  The  Modern 
Language  Association,  IV.  new  series.     Baltimore,  1896. 

C.  Alphonso  Smith,  "The  Short  Circuit  in  Eng^lish  Syn- 
tax."    Modern  Language  Notes,  XIX.     Baltimore,  1904. 

H.  O.  Sommer,  Ed.,  Le  Morte  Darthur  by  Syr  Thomas 
Malory,  I.     London,  1889. 

H.  Sweet,  A  New  English  Grammar,  Logical  and  Histori- 
cal, I.     Oxford,  1900. 

H.  Sweet,  A  Shoi't  Historical  English  Ch-ammar.  Oxford, 
1892. 

W.  D.  Whitney,  Ed.,  The  Century  Dictionary.  New  York, 
C1889. 

J.  E.  Wiilfing-,  Die  Syntax  in  den  Werken  Alfreds  des 
Grossen,  I.  Band.     Bonn,  1894. 


ABBREVIATIONS 

A.  B.  C.  =  An  A.  B.  C. 

Against  W.  U.  =  Ag-ainst  Women  Unconstant. 

Amor.  Comp.  =  An  Amorous  Compleint. 

An.  &  Ar.  =  Anelida  and  Arcite. 

Astr.  =  A  Treatise  on  the  Astrolabe. 

Bal.  of  Comp.  =  A  Balade  of  Compleynt. 

Boe.  =  Boethius  de  Consolatione  Philosophie. 

Book  D.  =  The  Book  of  the  Duchesse. 

C.  T.  =  The  Canterbury  Tales. 

Ch.  Y.  T.  =  The  Chanouns  Yemannes  Tale. 

Chau.  Words  unto  Ad.  =  Chancers  Wordes  unto  Adam,  his 
owne  Scriveyn. 

CI.  T.  =  The  Clerkes  Tale. 

Cok.  T.  =  The  Cokes  Tale. 

Comp.  of  Chau.  =  The  Compleint  of  Chaucer  to  his  empty 
Purse. 

Comp.  of  M.  =  The  Compleynt  of  Mars. 

Comp.  of  V.  =  The  Compleynt  of  Venus. 

Comp.  to  his  Lady  =  A  Compleint  to  his  Lady. 

Comp.  to  my  Lode-S.  =  Complaint  to  my  Lode-Sterre. 

Comp.  to  my  Mort.  P.  =  Complaint  to  my  Mortal  Foe. 

Comp.  unto  P.  =  The  Compleynte  unto  Pite. 

For.  Age  =  The  Former  Age. 

Fort.  =  Fortune. 

Frank.  T.  =  The  Frankeleyns  Tale. 

Freres  T.  =  The  Freres  Tale. 

Gent.  =  Gentilesse. 

H.  of  F.  =  The  Hous  of  Fame. 

Introd,  standing  after  a  title  =  Introduction  to  the  title 
mentioned. 

K.  T.  =  The  Knightes  Tale. 

8 


4  Louis  Round  Wilson 

L.  of  G.  W.  =  The  Leg-end  of  Good  Women. 
L.  of  Sted.  =  Lak  of  Stedfastnesse. 
Len.  a  Buk.  =  Lenvoy  de  Chaucer  a  Bukton. 
Len.  a  Sco.  =  Lenvoy  de  Chaucer  a  Scogan. 
M.  of  L.  T.  =  The  Tale  of  the  Man  of  Lawe. 
Mar.  T.  =  The  Marchantes  Tale. 
Maun.  T.  =  The  Maunciples  Tale. 
Mer.  Beau.  =  Merciles  Beaute:  A  Triple  Roundel. 
Mil.  T.  =  The  Milleres  Tale. 
Mo.  T.  =  The  Monkes  Tale. 
N.  P.  T.  =  The  Nonne  Preestes  Tale. 
P.  T.  =  The  Pardoners  Tale. 
Par.  of  F.  =  The  Parlement  of  Foules. 
Per.  T.  =  The  Persoues  Tale. 
Ph.  T.  =  The  Phisiciens  Tale. 
Prior.  T.  =  The  Prioresses  Tale. 

Prol.  standing-  after   a  title  =  Prologue  to  the   title  men- 
tioned. 

Prov.  =  Proverbs. 

R.  T.  =  The  Reves  Tale. 

Ro.  of  R.  =  The  Romaunt  of  the  Rose. 

Ros.  =  To  Rosemounde.   A  Balade. 

S.  N.  T.  =  The  Seconde  Nonnes  Tale. 

Sh.  T.  =  The  Shipmannes  Tale. 

Sir  T.  =  Sir  Thopas. 

Som.  T.  =  The  Somnours  Tale. 

Sq.  T.  =  The  Squieres  Tale. 

T.  of  G.  =  The  Tale  of  Gamely'n. 

T.  of  M.  =The  Tale  of  Melibeus. 

Tr.  i&  Cr.  =  Troilus  and  Criseyde. 

Truth  =  Truth. 

W.  of  B.  =  The  Tale  of  the  Wyf  of  Bathe. 

Wom.  Nob.  =  Womanly  Noblesse. 


METHOD  OF  CITATION 

Citations  are  given,  whenever  possible,  by  the  line  number 
of  the  individual  title:  C.  T.  Prol.  486  =  Prologue  of  The 
Canterbury  Tales^  line  486.  Continuous  line  numbers  are  not 
used  except  in  very  rare  instances,  and  then  because  the  indi- 
vidual line  number  is  not  given.  If  a  title  is  subdivided  into 
books,  paragraphs,  parts,  etc.,  reference  is  made  to  the 
specific  part:  Tr.  &  Cr.  III.  172  =  Troilus  and  Criseyde^ 
Book  III.,  line  172.  The  Tale  of  Meliheus  and  The  Persones 
Tale  are  cited  by  paragraph.  Satisfactory  line  numbers  are 
not  given.  In  Boethius,  Pr.  and  M.,  standing  immediately 
after  the  book  number,  refer  to  Prose  and  Metre,  respectively. 

Reference  to  works  used  frequently  is  made  by  name  of 
author,  without  title;  to  other  works  used  only  occasionally, 
by  name  of  author  and  title. 

The  line  number  given  is  that  in  which  the  relative  word 
occurs. 

6 


CHAPTER  I 

Demonstrative  Relatives 

1.     That  is  used  in  Chaucer  as  a  relative 
A.  When  the  antecedent  is 

a.  The  name  of  a  person: 

and  Claudius,  That  servant  was  un-to  this  Apius 
Ph.  T.  270.  Emelye,  that  fairer  was  to  sene 
Than  is  the  lilie  K.  T.  177.  Perotheus,  That 
felawe  was  un-to  duk  Theseus  K.  T.  334.  Under 
Alia,  king  of  al  Northumberlond,  That  was  ful 
wjs  M.  of  L.  T.  481. 

b.  The  name  of  a  personified  object: 

And  next  was  pejnted  Coveityse,  That  eg-geth 
folk  Ro.  of  R.  182.  and  hir  porter  Richesse,  That 
was  ful  noble  Par.  of  F.  262.  Sawe  I  Delyt,  that 
stood  with  Gentilnesse  Par.  of  F.  224. 

c.  The  name  of  a  country,  place,  or  river  (all    exam- 
ples found  are  cited): 

He  conquered  al  the  regne  of  Femenye,  That 
whylom  was  y-cleped  Scithia  K.  T.  9.  In 
Armorik,  that  called  is  Britayne  Frank.  T.  1.  In 
Engelond,  that  cleped  was  eek  Briteyne  Frank. 
T.  82.  Goth  forth  to  Via  Apia,  .  .  .  That  fro  this 
toun  ne  stant  but  myles  three  S.  N.  T.  173.  Alle 
the  thinges  that  the  river  Tagusyevethyow  ...  or 
that  Indus  yeveth,  that  is  next  the  liote  party  of 
the  world,  that  medleth  the  grene  stones  with  the 
whyte  Boe.  III.  M.  10:11.  lasoun  is  romed  forth 
to  the  citee,  That  whylom  cleped  was  laconitos, 
That  was  the  rfiaister-toun  of  al  Colcos  L.  of  G. 

6 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  7 

W.  IV.  224.  O  worthy  Petro,  king-  of  Cypre, 
also,  That  Alisaundre  wan  Mo.  T.  402.  Where 
as  the  Poo,  out  of  a  welle  smal,  Taketh  his  firste 
springing-  and  his  sours,  That  estward  ay  encres- 
seth  in  his  cours  CI.  T.  Prol.  50.  And  speketh  of 
Apennyn,  the  hilles  hye,  That  been  the  boundes 
of  West  Lumbardye  CI.  T.  Prol.  46. 

d.  A  name  implying  the  idea  of  person: 

A  worthy  duk  that  highte  Perotheus  K.  T.  333. 
At  requeste  of  the  quene  that  kneleth  here  K.  T. 
961. 

e.  The  name  of  a  thing: 

To  speke  of  wo  that  is  in  mariage  W.  of  B. 
Prol.  3.  Ire  is  a  thing  that  hye  god  defended 
Som.  T.  126. 

f.  A  personal  pronoun: 

But  I,  that  am  exyled  K.  T.  386.  O  thou,  that 
art  so  fayr  and  ful  of  grace  S.  N.  T.  67.  He  that 
it  wrog-hte  coude  ful  many  a  gin  Sq.  T.  120. 
Help,  for  hir  love  that  is  of  hevene  queue!  Mar. 
T.  1090. 

g.  A  demonstrative  pronoun: 

And  taketh  kepe  of  that  that  I  shall  seyn  Ph.T. 
90.  But  tak  this,  that  ye  loveres  ofte  eschuwe 
Tr.  &  Cr.  I.  344.  Thou  shalt  ben  wedded  un-to 
oon  of  tho  That  han  for  thee  so  muchel  care  and 
wo  K.  T.  1494. 

h.  An  indefinite  pronoun: 

Conseil  to  axe  of  any  that  is  here  Mar.  T.  236.  no 
man  finden  shall  Noon  in  this  world  that  trotteth 
hool  in  al  Mar.  T.  294,  To  ech  that  wol  of  pitee  you 
biseche  A.  B.  C.  136.  as  folk  seyde  everichoon 
That  hir  bihelden  in  hir  blake  wede  Tr.  &  Cr.  I. 
177. 

1.    An  interrogative  pronoun  (all  examples  found  are 
cited): 


Or  THE    *^ 


UNIVERSITY 


Louis  Round  Wilson 

What  have  I  doon  that  greveth  yow?  Comp.  to 
his  Lady  66.  what  is  ther  in  hem  that  may  be 
thyn  in  any  tyme?  Boe.  II.  Pr.  5:5.  what  may  a 
man  don  to  folk,  that  folk  ne  may  don  him  the 
same?  Boe.  11.  Pr.  6:46.  Who  lived  ever  in 
swich  delyt  o  day  That  him  ne  moeved  outher 
conscience,  Or  ire?  M.  of  Iv.  T.  1038.  For  who 
is  that  ne  wolde  hir  gflorifye?  Tr.  &  Cr.  II. 
1593.  Who  is  it  that  ne  seide  tho  that  thou  were 
rig-ht  weleful?  Boe.  II.  Pr.  3:25. 
B.  As  the  equivalent  of  what^  or  that  which 

a.  When  not  preceded  by  a  preposition: 

That  ye  desire,  it  may  not  ryse  Ro.  of  R.  3115. 
That  erst  was  no-thing-,  in-to  nought  it  torneth 
Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  798.  nece,  I  pray  yow  hertely,  Tel 
me  that  I  shal  axen  yow  a  lyte  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  1278. 

b.  When  preceded  by  a  preposition: 

Who  shulde  recche  of  that  is  reccheles?  Par.  of 
F.  593.  leveth  me,  and  yeveth  credence  to  that  I 
shal  seyn  T.  of  M.  §65.  But  wel  I  wot,  with  that 
he  can  endyte.  He  hath  maked  lewed  folk  delyte 
To  serve  you  L.  of  G.  W.  Prol.  402. 
C  As  the  equivalent  of  as  after 

a.  A  noun  modified  by  such: 

swiche  g-uerdoun,  that  she  never  yaf  to  privee 
man  Boe.  II.  Pr.  3:47.  and  other  swiche  shelle- 
fish  of  the  see,  that  clyven  and  ben  norisshed  to 
roches  Boe.  V.  Pr.  5:22.  Youthe  ginneth  ofte 
sich  bargeyn.  That  may  not  ende  withouten  peyn 
Ro.  of  R.  4930. 

b.  A  noun  modified  by  same:  ' 

the  same  heyghte  that  is  the  degree  of  the  sonne 

for  that  day  Astr.  II.  30:2. 

Note.     The  following  single  example  occurs  in 

which  same  does  not  modify  an  expressed  noun: 
And  gan  him  tellen,  anoon-right,  The  same 
that  to  him  was  told  H.  of  F.  III.  973. 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  9 

D.  After  superlatives 

a.  With  noun  unexpressed: 

Sith  I,  thunworthiest  that  may  ryde  or  go  Amor. 
Comp.  19.  on  whiche  the  faireste  and  the  beste 
That  ever  I  say,  deyneth  hir  herte  reste  Tr.  &  Cr. 
III.  1281. 

b.  With  noun  expressed: 

Thereto  he  is  the  freendlieste  man  Of  g-rete  estat, 
that  ever  I  saw  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  205.  The  moste 
pite,  the  moste  rowthe,  That  ever  I  herde  Book 
.  D.  466.  Why  niltow  fleen  out  of  the  wofulleste 
Body,  that  ever  mig-hte  on  grounde  go?  Tr.  & 
Cr.  IV.  304. 

Note  1 .     Which  is  used  only  twice  after  superla- 
tives.    See  §  23,  D. 

Note  2.  That  occurs  once  after  a  comparative: 
I  nil  yow  nought  displese.  Nor  axen  more, 
that  may  do  yow  disese  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  147. 

E.  To  refer  to  a  sentence,  or  to  a  sentence  member. 
While  this  use  of  that  has  been  supplanted  in  Modern 
English  by  which  or  a  relative  adverb,  it  was  the  rule 
in  Old  English  and  did  not  fall  into  disuse  until  late 
in  the  Middle  English  period,  as  the  following  exam- 
ples, taken  from  E.  A.  Kock,  p.  30,  §96,  C,  will  show: 

Wceron   heo   feower    gebro^or  .  .  .  ,    ealle    Godes 
sacerdas,  paet  seldon  gemeted  bits,  maere  &  gode 
Be.    232:28.    ne   ich   ne   seh    him   neuer   J^at    me 
sare  forpunchetS  Sp.  I.  8:88. 
While  similar  sentences  occur  in  Chaucer,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  pay  strict  attention  to  the  context  in  order  to 
determine  the  exact  value  of  that.     In  the  following 
sentences,  however,  Ma/ might  be  replaced  by  which: 
Theffect   is   this,    that   Alia,  out   of   drede,   His 
moder  slow,  that  (which)   men  may  pleinly  rede 
M.    of   Iv.    T.   796.     How   that   the  cursed   king 
Antiochus  Birafte  his  doghter  of  hir  maydenhede, 


10  Louis  Round  Wilson 

That  (which)  is  so  horrible  a  tale  for  to  rede  M. 
of  L.  T.  Introd.  84.  Lo,  nece,  I  trowe  ye  han 
herd  al  how  The  king,  .  .  .  Hath  mad  eschaunge 
of  Antenor  and  yow,  That  (which)  cause  is  of 
this  sorwe  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  879.  But  doun  on  knees 
she  sat  anoon,  And  weep,  that  (which)  pite  was 
to  here  Book  D.  107. 

Note.     This  list  includes  examples  which  were 
considered  beyond  question. 

F.  If  the  antecedent  is  a  noun  not  preceded  by  an  article 
and  the  relative  is  used  as  a  predicate  complement: 

O  Sterne,  O  cruel  fader  that  I  was!  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV. 
94.  Fox  that  ye  been,  god  yeve  your  herte  care! 
Tr.  &  Cr.  III.  1565.     No  other  examples  occur. 

G.  In  the  function  of  a  phrase.     It  is  thus  employed  to 
express 

a.  Time: 

This  passeth  forth  al  thilke  Saterday,  That  Nich- 
olas stille  in  his  chambre  lay  Mil.  T.  234.  And, 
to  that  day  that  I  be  leyd  in  grave,  A  trewer  ser- 
vaunt  shulle  ye  never  Tiave  Amor.  Comp.  74.  the 
tyme  is  faste  by.  That  fyr  and  flaumbe  on  al  the 
toun  shal  sprede  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  118.  Examples 
are  numerous. 

b.  Place: 

on  thilke  side  that  the  sonne  stant  Astr.  II.  29:  4. 
Evere  fro  the  hyer  degree  that  man  falleth,  the 
more  is  he  thral  Per.  T.  §9.  And  certes,  up-on 
thilke  syde  that  power  faileth  Boe.  III.  Pr.  5:13. 
Examples  are  rare. 

c.  Reason  or  cause: 

What  is  the  cause,  if  it  be  for  to  telle.  That  ye  be 
in  this  furial  pyne  of  helle?  Sq.  T.  440.  And  seyde, 
that  she  cause  was  That  she  first  lovede  [Eneas] 
H.  of  F.  I.  370.  The  thinges  thanne,  .  .  .  that, 
whan  men  doon  hem,  ne  han  no  necessitee   that 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  11 

men  doon  hem  Boe.  V.  Pr.  4:71.     Examples  are 
rare. 
d.  Manner: 

This  ugfly  serg-eant,  in  the  same  wyse  That  he  hir 
dog^hter  caug-hte  CI.  T.  618.  I  have  avauntag-e,  in 
o  wyse,  That  your  prelates  ben  not  so  wyse  Ro. 
of  R.  7690.  thou  hast  been  punisshed  in  the 
manere  that  thow  hast  y-trespassed  T.  of  Mel. 
§39.     Examples  are  rare. 

2.  Althougfli  a  pleonastic  that  is  frequently  used  after  all  the 
other  pure  relatives  in  Chaucer,  and  after  a  number  of 
adverbs  and  conjunctions,  it  is  never  used  after  the  rela- 
tive that.     In  the  following"  examples 

And  taketh  kepe  of  that  that  I  shal  seyn  Ph.  T.  90. 
For-thy  take  hede  of  that  that  I  shal  seye  Tr.  &  Cr. 
IV.  1107, 
I  concur  with  Schrader,  p.  13,  in  the  opinion  that  the 
first  that  is  to  be  considered  as  a  demonstrative  and  the 
second  as  a  relative.  In  sentences  similar  to  these, 
and  to  the  one  following- 

For  wit  and  imag-inacioun  seyn  that  that,  that  is  sen- 
sible or  imag-inable  Boe.  V.  Pr.  5:33, 
a  tendency  is  seen  to  use  that  almost  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  other  relatives,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  easily 
confused  with  the  conjunction  and  demonstrative  pro- 
noun. This  tendency  became  so  marked  in  the  eighteenth 
century  that  the  Spectator,  in  its  seventy-eig-hth  num- 
ber, presented  to  its  readers  "The  Humble  Petition  of 
Who  and  Which,""  in  which  was  strongly  urged  the 
revival  of  the  use  of  these  two  relatives. 

3.  To  the  statement  "Dahin  gehort,  dass  that  nicht  von  einer 
vorangehenden  .  .  .  Praposition  begleitet  werden  kann," 
made  by  Matzner,  III.  558,  which  is  supported  by  P. 
Noack,  p.  73,  I  wish  to  oppose  that  of  E.  A.  Kock,  p. 
35,  §102:  ''\)aet  (that)  could  formerly  be  governed  by  a 
preceding    preposition;    more    frequently,    however,    the 


12  Louts  Round  Wilson 

preposition  followed.   .  .  .  Now-a-days  that  can  be  gov- 
erned only  by  following  words,  and  the  proposition  is 
placed   after  both    the   verb   and   the   object."      Kock's 
statement  seems  to  agree  with  the  Chaucerian  usage: 
But  Resoun  conceyveth,  of   a  sight,   Shame,  of  that 
I  spok  aforn  Ro.  of  R.  3041.     Who  shulde  recche  of 
that  is  reccheles?  Par.  of  F.  593.     And  blessed  be  the 
yok  that  we  been  inne  Mar.  T.  593.     The  first  exam- 
ple stands  alone  in  Chaucer. 
4.     The  old  indeclinable  demonstrative  relative /^e,  which  was 
constantly  used  in  late  Old  English,  does  not  appear  in 
this  edition   of   Chaucer,    though   one  case   is  cited   by 
Schrader,  p.  7,  which  is  taken  from  the  Aldine  Edition, 
by  Richard  Morris: 

Unto  that  countrey  thou  me  adjourne,  the  cleped  is 
thy  benche  of  fressh  flower.*     A.  B.  C:  V  7. 

♦Lady,  un-to  that  court  thou  mo  aiourne  That  cleped  is  thy  bench,  O 
fresshe  flour!  A.  B.  O.  153~Skeat. 


CHAPTER  II 

Interrogative  Relatives 

5.  While  the  developmeat  of  the  interrogative-relative  forms 
belongs  to  historical  English  grammar  rather  than  to  my 
subject,  I  think  it  not  amiss  to  offer  an  explanation  con- 
cerning it  which  is  different  from  that  usually  offered.* 
Kellner's  statement  of  this  development,  p.  207,  §335, 
Historical  Outlines  of  English  Syntax,  is  as  follows: 

"The   transition   from  the  Old  English  relatives   to 
those  used  in  Middle  and  Modern  English  was  effected 
by  the  indefinite  or  general  relatives.     It  is  in  these 
that  the  interrogatives  who  and  what  were  first  used  in 
the  relative  sense." 
This  explanation,  though  quite  generally  accepted,  has 
not  passed  without  question,  and,  to  my  mind,  does  not 
agree  with  the  genius  of  the  language  as  revealed  in  the 
speech  of  children  and  the  illiterate,  in  which  syntactical 
tendencies,    unfettered    by    grammatical    tenets,    appear 
most  clearly,    A  theoryf  which  accords  more  exactly  with 
the  spirit  of  the  language  and  which  is  practically  illus- 
trated daily  in  the  speech  of  the  unlettered,  is  that  offered 
by  C.  Alphonso  Smith,  p.  52,  §  74,  note  3,  An  Old  English 
Grammar  and  Exercise  Book: 

*'How  were  the  Mn.   E.  relative  pronouns,   who  and 
which,  evolved  from  the  O.  E.  interrogatives?    The 

♦See  O.  P.  Emerson,  History  of  tJie  English  Language,  p.  836. 

+See  Br^al's  Essai  de  Semantique  (cap.  XXII. ),  T.  Hewitt  Key,  in  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Philological  Society  (London),  vol.  III.  p.  57,  Dr.  Noah 
Porter,  in  Bihliotheca  Sacra,  vol.  XII.  p.  661,  and  O.  T.  Onions,  An 
Advanced  English  Syntax,  T^.  148. 

18 


14  Louis  Round  W?'lson 

chang-e  began  in  early  West  Saxon  with  Aweet  used  in 
indirect  questions:     Nu  ic  wat  eall  hwaet  tSu  woldest.* 
The  direct  question  was,  Hwaet  woldest  tSu?     But  the 
presence  of   eal/  shows  that  in  Alfred's  mind  hwmt 
was,  in  the  indirect  form,  more  relative  than  interrog- 
ative." 
Wiilfing,    I.  pp.  421-3,    out  of  a  large  number   of   sen- 
tences   containing   indefinite  or  general  relatives,   cites 
only  one  example  in  which  the  indefinite  form  is  made  to 
refer  to  a  direct  antecedent: 

to  Son  )>aet  swa  hwaet  swa  on  hyre  unclaennysse  .  .  . 
gelumpe,  faet  eall  faet  se  ofn  .  .  .  ofasude   Be.  576:27. 
On  p.  426,  Wiilfing  cites  this  additional  indirect  question 
in  which  hivcet  is  again  more  relative  than  interrogative: 
englas  habbaj?  rihte  domas   &  godne   willan,  &  eall 
hwaet  ( Co//. ;  paet)   hi  willnia}'  hi  begita]>  swipe  eape 
Bo.  370:14. 
In  Chaucer,  out  of  the  many  occurrences  of  the  indefi- 
nite and  general  relatives,  only  four  examples  are  found 
in  which  the  indefinite  relative  has  an  antecedent: 

Repreve  he  dredeth  never  a  del.  Who  that  biset  his 

wordis  wel  Ro.  of  R.  5260.     A  thousand  Troians  who 

so  that  me  yave,  Eche  after  other,  .  .  .  Ne  mighte  me 

so  gladden  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  977.     This  fable  aperteineth 

to  yow  alle,  who-so-ever  desireth  or  seketh  to  lede  his 

thought  in-to  the  soverein  day  Boe.  III.  M.  12:43.     I 

praise  no-thing  what  ever  they  see  Ro.  of  R.  2430. 

To  these  may  be  opposed  the  following  indirect  questions 

in  which  the  pronouns  have  greater  relative  force  than 

interrogative: 

Til  she  had  herd  al  what  the  frere  sayde  Som.  T.  493. 
But  god  and  Pandare  wiste  al  what  this  mente  Tr.  & 
Cr.  II.  1561.  every  lover  thoughte,  That  al  was  wel, 
what-so  he  seyde  or  wroughte  Tr.  &  Cr.  III.  1799. 

•Wiilflug,  I.  p.  426. 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions 

This  latter  usage,  which  was  known  to  Old  and  Middle 
English  alike,  and  which  is  characteristic  of  the  speech 
of  the  American  negro  today,  seems  to  indicate  the  origin 
of  the  pure  relative  forms.  The  development  may  be 
represented  by  the  following  sentences: 

(1)  Who  passed  through  the  gate? 

(2)  I  know  who  passed  through  the  gate. 

(3)  I  know  the  man  who  passed  through  the  gate. 

(4)  John  was  the  man  who  passed  through  the  gate. 
Whenever  the  person  questioned  wishes  his  answer  to 
convey  full  information  or  to  be  emphatic,  an  antecedent 
is  supplied,  and  the  pronoun  following  ceases  to  be  inter- 
rogative and  becomes  relative.  The  following  sentences 
from  J.  C.  Harris,  Uncle  Remus  and  his  Friends^  though 
they  do  not  conform  exactly  to  the  types  (1)  to  (4)  given 
above,  illustrate  the  principle: 

"What  are  you  talking  about?"  the  lady  asked  con- 
temptuously. 

" 'Bout  dat  ar  snake  what  I  smells.  I  kin  allers 
smell  um  when  dey  gits  stirred  up." 

"What  snake?"  asked  the  lady  with  something 
more  than  curiosity. 

"Dat  ar  snake  what  I  bin  interferin'  wid."  p.  259. 

"I  lay  back,  I  did,  fer  to  'joy  myse'f,  en  I  ain't 
mo'n  doze  off  'fo'  he  begin  fer  ter  fetch  on  de  comic." 

"On  the  what?"  the  society  editor  asked. 

"On  de  comic — dis  yer  stair  w'at  shows  up  'fo' 
day  wid  'er  back  hair  down."     p.  262. 

"Dey  tells  me,"  the  old  man  continued,  "dat  'fo' 
me  an'  Miss  Sally  come  here,  de  whole  place  was 
ha'nted." 

"Oh,  hush,  man!"  exclaimed  Chloe,  "who  tell  you 
dat?" 

"Dem  what  know,"  said  Uncle  Remus,  solemnly, 
p.  285. 


16  Louis  Round  Wilson 

6.     Two  other  points  of  interest  which  have  also  arisen  in 
the  preparation  of  this  paper  may  be  noted  here: 

A.  That  ivho^  as  a  pure  relative,  entered  the  language 
through  its  oblique  cases  rather  than  through  what 
I  may  term  its  head  case,  the  nominative.  This  fact 
has  been  pointed  out  b}'  O.  F.  Emerson,  History  of 
the  English  Language,  p.  338,  and  is  established 
beyond  question  in  the  treatment  of  the  forms  whoy 
whose,  and  -whom  in  this  chapter. 

B.  That  the  use  of  who  in  the  nominative  case,  though 
not  general  until  the  sixteenth  century,  was  more  fre- 
quent than  is  usually  supposed.*  When  all  the  exam- 
ples are  collected,  the  meager  list  commonly  attributed 
to  the  centuries  preceding  the  sixteenth  will  be  con- 
siderably enlarged,  and  the  statement  made  by  E. 
Einenkel,  "Syntax",  Grundriss  der  Germanischen 
Philologie,  I.  p.  1119,  to  the  effect  that  who  first 
appeared  in  the  fourteenth.century,  and  by  P.  J.  Furni- 
vall,  "On  the  Use  of  Who  in  the  Nominative,  as  a 
Relative,  before  A.  D.  1627,"  Transactions  of  the  Phi- 
lological Society,  London,  1865,  N.  IX.,  to  the  effect 
that  who  did  not  occur  until  the  year  1523, f  will  be 
found  to  be  wide  of  the  mark.  To  the  brief  lists 
given  by  L.  Kellner,  Historical  Outlines  of  English 
Syntax,  p.  208,  §336,  and  E.  A.  Kock,  p.  60,  §142, 
B.  a.,  in  which  examples  are  cited  from  the  tenth 
century  on,  my  reading  in  connection  with  the  prepa- 
ration of  this  paper  has  enabled  me  to  add  the  two 

*As  a  Relative,  though  found  occasionally  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
centuries,  it  did  not  come  into  common  use  before  the  sixteenth,  and  then, 
as  now,  it  was  restricted  \jopermnal  antecedents. — T.  O.  Nesfield,  English 
Grammar  Past  and  Present,  p.  335.  For  other  similar  statements,  see  R. 
Morris,  ITisloricnl  Outlines  of  English  Accidence,  p.  131;  E.  Miitzner,  III. 
p.  568;  T.  R,  Lounsbury,  History  of  the  Englixh  Language,  p.  296. 

tP.  Noack,  Eine  Geschichfe  der  relativen  Pronomina  in  der  enyUscfien 
Sprache,  p.  64,  cites  Furnivall's  conclusion  without  adverse  comment. 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  17 

following-  examples  taken  from  A.  W.  Pollard's  Fif- 
teenth Century  Prose  and  Verse:* 

And  every  wight  who,  in  such  case,  him  delig-ht- 
eth  The  Letter  of  Cupid,  p.  21.  The  Monk  who 
was  not  so  courteous  Robin  Hood  Ballad,  p.  57. 

7.  Whoy  without  an  antecedent,  is  used  very  frequently  as  a 
general  relative.  It  always  relates  to  the  idea  of  person. 
It  occurs: 

a.  With  a  personal  pronoun  in  the  correlative: 

Who  hath  no  wyf,  he  is  no  cokewold  Mil.  T. 
Prol.  44. 

b.  Without  a  personal  pronoun  in  the  correlative: 

And  who  hath  that,  may  not  asterte  Book  D.  1154. 
Note.     The  ratio  between  a    and  b    is    about 
three  to  one. 

8.  Loke  who  occurs  once,  and  is  used  as  the  equivalent  of 
-whoever: 

Loke  who  that  is  most  pacient  in  love,  He  is  at  his 
avantage  al  above  Frank.  T.  43. 

9.  Although  indefinite  who,  as  shown  above,  is  frequently 
found  in  Chaucer,  a  careful  search  through  his  works 
fails  to  bring  to  light  a  singlef  occurrence  of  who  as  a 
pure  relative  in  the  nominative  case.  As  indicated  by  E. 
A.  Kock,  p.  61,  §142,  Note,  b.,  Skeat  substitutes  whiche 
for  who  in  the  one  place  in  which  it  occurs  originally  in 
the  Glasgow  MS.  and  in  Thynne's  edition  of  1532: 

Men  seyn  over  the  walle  stonde  Grete  engy nes,  [whiche] 
were  nigh  honde  Ro.  of  R.  4194. 

*The  Letter  of  Cupid  is  dated  by  Pollard  1402.  The  Robin  Hood  Ballad 
was  printed  in  1510,  but  Pollard  claims  in  his  Introduction,  p.  xiv.,  that  it 
is  a  production  of  the  fifteenth  rather  than  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

to.  F.  Emerson,  History  of  the  English  Language,  p.  336,  says:  "It  is 
true  there  are  occasional  examples  of  who  as  early  as  the  twelfth  century, 
and  later  in  Ohaucer,  but  it  was  not  until  the  sixteenth  century  that  w'//r> 
began  to  be  used  more  commonly  as  a  relative."  This  statement  lacks 
exactness  in  that  no  direct  reference  to  the  occurrences  in  Chaucer  is 
given. 


18  Louis  Round  Wilson 

In  the  sentence: 

Repreve  he  dredeth  never  a  del,  Who  that  biset  his 

wordis  wel  Ro.  of  R.  5262, 
it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  value  of  who.     Inasmuch 
as  it  has  a  definite  antecedent,  and  inasmuch  as  that  may 
be  pleonastic,  it  approaches  the  value  of  a  pure  relative, 
while  on  the  other  hand  it  has  very  much  the  appearance 
of  a  general  relative. 
10.    Whos  is  used  in  Chaucer  as  a  pure  relative 
A.  When  the  antecedent  is 

a.  The  name  of  a  person: 

I  g-raunte  wel  that  thou  endurest  wo  As  sharp  as 
doth  he,  Ticius,  in  helle,  Whos  stomak  foules 
tyren  ever-mo  Tr.  &  Cr.  I.  787.  Mary  I  mene,  .  .  . 
Bifore  whos  child  aungeles  singe  Osanne  M.  of 
L.  T.  544. 

b.  The  name  of  a  personified  object: 

I  beholde  my  norice  Philosophie,  in  whos  houses 
I  hadde  conversed  Boe.  I.  Pr.  3:4.  Not  many 
examples  occur. 

c.  A  name  implying  the  idea  of  person: 

Seing  his  freend  in  wo,  whos  hevinesse  His  herte 
slow  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  363.  Sik  lay  the  gode  man, 
whos  that  the  place  is  Som.  T.  60. 

d.  The  name  of  a  thing  (all  examples  found  are  cited): 

The  formel  on  your  hond  so  wel  y-wrought,  Whos 
I  am  al  Par.  of  F.  419.  For  yif  that  al  the  good 
of  every  thinge  be  more  precious  than  is  thilke 
thing  whos  that  the  good  is  Boe.  II.  Pr.  5:102. 
But  ay  theoynemeot  wente  abrood;  .  .  .  Through 
whos  vertu  and  whos  might  Myn  herte  loyful  was 
and  light  Ro.  of  R.  1901. 

e.  A  name,  which,  in  form,  seems  to  represent  a 
thing,  but  whJch,  in  reality,  represents  a  person 
(all  examples  found  are  cited): 

O  moder  mayde!   o  mayde  moder  free!   O  bush 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  19 

unbrent,  brenning-e  in  Moyses  sig-hte,That  ravised- 
est  douu  fro  the  deitee,  Thurgh  thyn  humblesse, 
the  g"oost  that  in  thalighte,  Of  whos  vertu,  whan 
he  thyn  herte  lig-hte,  Conceived  was  the  fadres 
sapience  Prior.  T.  19.  Right  fresshe  flour,  whos  I 
have  been  and  shal  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  1317. 
f.    A  personal  pronoun: 

And  if  yow  lyketh  knowen  of  the  fare  Of  me, 
whos  wo  ther  may  no  wight  discryve  Tr.  &.  Cr. 
V.  1367.  So  inly  fair  and  goodly  as  is  she,  Whos 
I  am  al  Tr.  &  Cr.  III.  1607.  To  hir,  whos  I  am 
hool  Amor.  Comp.  87. 

11.  Whos  is  used  peculiarly  in  the  following  cases: 

A.  As  a  predicate  possessive: 

Sik  lay  the  gode  man,  whos  that  the  place  is  Som. 
T.  60.  I  hadde  a  lord,  to  whom  I  wedded  was. 
The  whos  myn  herte  al  was  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  976. 
Right  fresshe  flour,  whos  I  have  been  Tr.  &  Cr. 
V.  1317.  Other  examples  are  to  be  found:  Tr. 
&  Cr.  III.  1607;  Amor.  Comp.  87;  Comp.  of  V.  6; 
Boe.  II.  Pr.  5:102;  Par.  of  P.  419. 

B.  Following  the  analogy  of  the  the  which  construction,  it 
is  preceded  by  the  definite  article  (all  examples  found 
are  cited): 

thou  shalt  wel  knowe  by  the  autoritee  of  god,  of 
the  whos  regne  I  speke  Boe.  IV.  Pr.  1:36. 
[Crisejde],  The  whos  wel-fare  and  hele  eek  god 
encresse  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  1359.  I  hadde  a  lord,  to 
whom  I  wedded  was,  The  whos  myn  herte  al  was, 
til  that  he  deyde  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  976. 

12.  Whom  is  occasionally   used  without  an  antecedent  as  a 
general  relative.     It  always  relates  to  the  idea  of' person: 

Rys,  take  with  yow  your  nece  Antigone,  Or  whom  you 
list  Tr.  «&  Cr.  II.  1717.  This  cherl  was  hid  there  in 
the  greves,  .  .  .  To  spye  and  take  whom  that  he  fond 
Ro.  of  R.  3021.     In.  whom  that  drinke  hath  domina- 


20  Louis  Round  Wilson 

cioun,  He  can  no  conseil  kepe  P.  T.  232.     For  soth  it 
is,  whom  it  displese  Ro.  of  R.  5697.     Other  examples 
occur. 
13.      Whom  is  also  used  in  Chaucer  as  a  pure  relative 
A.  When  the  antecedent  is 

a.  The  name  of  a  person: 

And  eek  his  fresshe  brother  Troilus,  ...  In  whom 
that  every  vertu  list  abounde  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  159. 
amiddes  lay  Cipryde,  To  whom  on  knees  two 
yong-e  folkes  cryde  Par.  of  F.  278. 

b.  The  name  of  a  personified  object: 

That  she  is  Fortune  verely  In  whom  no  man 
shulde  affy  Ro.  of  R.  5480. 

c.  A  name  implying  the  idea  of  person: 

Moder,  of  whom  our  mercy  gan  to  springe  A.  B. 
C.  133.  For  if  a  preest  be  foul,  on  whom  we 
truste  C.  T.  Prol.  501.  To  love  my  lady,  whom  I 
love  and  serve  K.  T.  285. 

d.  The  name  of  a  thing  (all  examples  found  are 
cited): 

Tho  loked  I  doun  up-on  myn  est  orisonte,  and  fond 
ther  23  degrees  of  Libra  assending,  whom  I  tok 
for  myn  assendent  Astr.  II.  3:39.  she  [the  formel 
eagle]  shal  have  right  him  [one  of  three  eag-les] 
on  whom  hir  herte  is  set  Par.  of  F.  627. 

Note.  While  whom  in  these  two  examples  is 
used  to  refer  to  things,  I  hold,  with  Schrader,  p. 
18,  that  it  is  not  so  used  in  the  examples  cited 
under  e  below;  but  that  in  reality  it  refers  to  the 
idea  of  person,  which,  in  some  way,  is  associated 
with  the  antecedent.  Other  examples  than  those 
cited  in  d  and  e  do  not  occur. 

e.  A  name,  which,  in  form,  seems  to  represent  a 
thing,  but  which,  in  fact,  represents  the  idea  of 
person.  Schrader,  p.  18,  after  citing  the  two  fol- 
lowing sentences  which  I  do  not  find  in  Text  A  of 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  21 

the    edition    by    Skeat    and    which    I   cite   upon 

Schrader's  authority: 

And  eke  in  service  of  the  flour,  whom  that  I  serve. 

Leg.  of  g.  W.  Prol.  83.     Now,  love,  to  whom  my 

sorweful  hert  obeyede  Leg.  of  g.  W.  p.  297.  102. 

says: 

"In  diesen  beispielen  sind  die  substantiva  jlour^ 
love  vollkommen  identisch  mit  geliebtc,     Auch 
in:     Ne*  she  was  derk  ne  broun,  but  bright  and 
clere  as  the  monelight,  ageyn  whom  alle  the 
sterres  semen  but  smale   candles  Rom.  of    R. 
1011.  lag  dem  dichter  der  begriff  lady  so  nahe, 
dass  er  in  dem  monelight  giwissermassen  seine 
lady  personificirt  sah.      In  dem  beispiel:     0,t 
verray  light  of  ey en  that  ben  blynde!    O  verray 
lust  of  labour  and  distresse!      O,   tresorere  of 
bounte  to  mankynde,  The  whom  God  chees  to 
moder    for    hurablesse  A  B  C:04     liegt   alien 
dem  whom  vorantstehenden  abstracten  begriffen 
der  personenname  Marie  zu  grunde." 
To  these  examples  are  to  be  added  the  two  follow- 
ing  in   which   the  antecedents   thing  and  relyke^ 
respectively,  are  apparent  substitutes  for  God  and 
loved  one: 

But  thilke  thing  thanne,  that  hath  and  corapre- 
hendeth  to-gider  al  the  plentee  of  the  lyf  inter- 
minable, to  whom  ther  ne  faileth  naught  of  the 
future,  and  to  whom  ther  nis  naught  of  the 
preterit  escaped  Boe.  V.  Pr.  6:29,  30.  And  loke, 
for  love  of  that  relyke,  .  .  .  For  [whom]  thou 
hast  so  greet  annoy,  Shal  kisse  thee  er  thou  go 
away  Ro.  of  R.  2675. 
f.    A  personal  pronoun: 

And  I,  of  whom  the  sighte,  plounged  in  teres, 

•Skeat's  edition,  Ro.  of  R.  1011. 
tSkeat's  edition,  A.  B.  C.  108. 


22  Louis  Round  Wilson 

was  derked  Boe.  I.  Pr.  1:55.     That  he,  to  whom 
that  I  am  shriven  Ro.  of  R.  6391.     But  now  help 
god,  and  ye,  swete,  for  whom  I  pleyne  Tr.  &  Cr.  I. 
533. 
S.  An   indefinite   pronoun   (all   examples    found    are 
cited): 
Now,  queen  of  comfort,  sith  thou  art  that  same 
To  whom  I  seche  for  my  medicyne  A.  B.  C.  78. 
and    another,   to   whom   thilke   naturel   ofl&ce   of 
feet  lakketh  Boe.  IV.  Pr.  2: 80. 
h.  A  superlative  (only  one  example  occurs): 

But  herte  myu,  sin  that  I  am  your  man.  And  been 
the  ferste  of  whom  I  seche  grace  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  940. 
14.    Whom  is  used  peculiarly  in  the  following  cases: 

A.  As  the  equivalent  of  him  or  her  in  sentences  in  which 
it  has  no  immediate  antecedent  other  than  that  sup- 
plied by  the  context  (all  examples  found  are  cited  or 
indicated): 

To  whom  Cecile  answerde  boldely  S.  N.  T.  319. 
To  whom  answerde  Tiburce  S.  N.  T.  333.  To 
whom  Almachius  [answered]  S.  N.  T.  468.  Other 
examples  are  to  be  found:  Tr.  «&  Cr.  I.  829;  Tr. 
&  Cr.  V.  1562;  Ro.  of  R.  2665. 

Note.  The  explanation  of  the  context  for  the 
three  cases  cited  from  the  S.  N.  T.  will  suf&ce  for 
all  the  other  examples  as  they  are  to  be  explained 
in  an  exactly  similar  way.  Seint  Cecile  and 
Tiburce  are  represented  as  taking  part  in  a  pro- 
longed discussion.  In  318-9,  Tiburce  stops 
speaking  and  Cecile  replies  to  him.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  her  reply,  Tiburce  addresses  her  again 
(333).  Later,  Almachius  comes  in,  and  having 
heard  Cecile,  addresses  her  (468). 

B.  As  the  equivalent'  of  the  subjective  genitive  whose 
(all  examples  found  are  cited):  ' 

And  I,  of  whom  the  sighte,  plounged  in  teres, 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  23 

was  derked  Boe.  I.   Pr.    1 :  55.    But  than  a  cherl 
.  .  .  Bisyde   the  roses  gan  him  hyde,  ...  Of  whom 
the  name  was  Daung-er  Ro.  of  R.  3018. 
C.  Schrader,  p.  19,  cites  the  following-  example  of  the 
-whom : 

O  tresore  of  bounte  to  mankynde  the  whom  God 
chees  to  moder  for  humblesse  ABC.  :04. 
Skeat's  edition  reads: 

O  tresorere  of  bountee  to  mankinde,  Thee  whom 
God  chees  to  moder  for  humblesse!  A.  B.  C.  108. 
According-ly,  no  example  of   the  the  whoiu  construc- 
can  be  cited. 
15.  The  construction  exemplified  in  as  who  sayth  occurs  fre- 
quently in  the  poetry  of  Chaucer  and  very  frequently  in 
his  prose  works  in  sentences  similar  to  the  following-: 
With   that   he   loked   on   me    asyde,    As  who  sayth, 
'nay,    that    wol   not  be'   Book  D.    559.     I    have   wel 
desired    matere   of  thing-es  to  done,   as  who  seilh,  I 
desire    to   han   matere    of  g-overnaunce   over  comun- 
alitees  Boe.  II.  Pr.  7:3. 
Its  use  is  attributed  by  Einenkel,  "Syntax",  p.  1119,  to  the 
influence  of  the  Old  French  idiom  comme  qui  dirait,  and 
is   considered   by   Matzner,  III.  583,  to   be   an  elliptical 
expression   of   condition.     The   formula   whoso  list,  and 
other   expressions   of   similar  meaning,  are  occasionally 
used  parenthetically. 

Note.  That  the  construction  expresses  condition,  as 
stated  by  Matzner,  is  beyond  question.  .  It  is  also  quite 
probable  that  Einenkel  is  rig-ht  in  attributing-  it  to  French 
influence.  F.  H.  Sykes,  French  Elements  in  Middle  Eng- 
lish, pp.  63-4,  though  failing  to  cite  the  verbal  phrase 
comme  qui  dirait,  reaches  the  conclusion  "that  OFr.  exer- 
cised an  eJitensive  influence  on  the  development  of  the 
meaning  of  phrasal  uses  of  important  MidE.  verbs,"  and 
supports  Einenkel's  general  opinion  as  given  in  his  "Syn- 
tax", of  the  effect  of  this  influence. 


24  Louis  Round  Wilson 

16.  ^hat^  with  indefinite  meaning,  is  used  in  the  nomi- 
native and  accusative  cases  without  an  antecedent. 
When  thus  used  it  is  equivalent  to  that  which  or  to  the 
more  indefinite  tuhatever: 

For  what  that  on  may  hale,  that  other  let  Par.  of  F. 
151.  But  natheles,  bityde  what  bityde  Tr.  &  Cr.  V. 
750.  And  what  that  I  may  hclpe,  it  shal  not  fayle 
Tr.  «&  Cr.  IV.  938. 

17.  Although  what  is  no  longer  used,  except  by  the  illiterate, 
as  a  relative  after  an  antecedent,  it  is  so  used  by  Chaucer 
in  the  examples  following: 

A.  When  the  antecedent  is 

a.  The  name  of  a  thing  (only  one  example  occurs): 

Tak  thou  thy  part,  what  that  men  wol  thee  yive 
Freres  T.  233. 

b.  A    demonstrative     pronoun     (only     one     example 
occurs): 

Til  he  have  caught  that  what  him  leste  H.  of  F. 
I.  282. 

c.  All  (all  examples  found  are  cited): 

And  al  is  payed,  what  that  he  hath  spent  L.  of 
G.  W.  III.  202.  Til  she  had  herd  al  what  the 
frere  sayde  Som.  T.  493.  But  god  and  Pandare 
wiste  al  what  this  mcnte  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  1561. 

18.  What  is  used  adjectivally 

A.  With  a  noun  which  it  modifies: 

For  it  is  set  in  your  hand  .  .  .  what  fortune  yow 
is  levest  Boe.  IV.  Pr.  7:73.  For  truste  wel,  that 
over  what  man  sinne  hath  maistrie,  he  is  a  verray 
cherl  to  sinne  Per.  T.  §27. 

B.  With  a  noun  which  it  modifies  followed  by  that: 

And  yit  more-over:  what  man  that  this  toumbling 
welefulnesse  ledeth,  either  he  woot  that  it 
is  chaungeable,  or  elles  he  woot  it  nat 
Boe.  II.  Pr.  4':  109.  That  what  wight  that 
first    sheweth    his   presence    Comp.    of    M.    170. 


Chaucer^s  Relative  Constructions  25 

What  maner  thing  that  may  cncrese  wo  Comp.  to 
P.  103.  What  mancr  man,  stable  and  war,  that 
wole  founden  him  a  perdurable  sete  Boe.  II.  M. 
4:1.  Examples  of  A  and  B  are  common,  espec- 
ially in  the  prose  works. 

19.  Whatever  is  used  adjectivally  in  the  followintr  example: 

Now  am  I  maister,  now  scolere;  Now  monk,  now 
chanoun;  now  baily;  What-ever  mister  man  am  I 
Ro.  of  R.  6332. 

20.  What  ...  5(9  is  frequently  used  adjectivally  when  it  mod- 
ifies a  noun  which  is  followed  by  that: 

That  I  nil  ay,  with  alle  my  wittes  fyve,  Serve 
yow  trewly,  what  wo  so  that  I  fele  Comp.  to  his 
L.  99. 

21.  What-som-ever  is  used  once  adjectivally: 

But  what-som-ever  wo  they  fele  Ro.  of   R.  5041. 

22.  Loke  zvhat^  with  that  after  a  noun  which  it  modifies,  is 
used  adjectivally  in  the  following  sentence: 

Loke  what  day  that,  endelong  Britayne,  Ye  remoeve 
alle  the  rokkes,  stoon  by  stoon,  .  .  .  Than  wol  I  love 
yow  best  of  any  man  Frank.  T.  264. 

23.  Which  and  its  composite  relative  equivalent  the  which  are 
used  quite  frequently  in  Chaucer.  In  regard  to  the 
latter  relative  combination  which  is  characteristic  of 
Middle  English  generally  as  well  as  of  the  works  of  Chau- 
cer, it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  it  is  not  necessarily  a 
direct  imitation  of  the  Old  French  Icquel,*  but  on  the 
contrary  that  it  had  its  prototype  in  the  Old  English 
composite  relative  se  Ae.  Which,  or  its  equivalent  the 
■which,  is  used  as  a  relative 

A.  When  the  antecedent  is 
a.  The  name  of  a  person: 

Criseyde,  which  that  wel  neigh  starf  for  fere  Tr. 
&  Cr.  II.  449.     Pandare,    which   that   stood   hir 

*See  P.  Noack,  Eine  Geschk-hle  der  relalivcn  Pronornma  in  der  englischen 
Sprache,  p.  60,  and  A.  Darmesteter,  Hislorical  French  Grammar,  p.  663. 


26  Louis  Round  Wilson 

f aste  by  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  1275.  Twenty-four  exam- 
ples occur  in  Tr.  &  Cr.  That  occurs  in  sixty-two 
examples. 

b.  The  name  of  a  personified  object: 

To  Daung-er  cam  I,  al  ashamed,  The  which  aforn 
me  hadde  blamed  Ro.  of  R.  3396.  And  with  that 
word  cam  Drede  avaunt,  Which  was  abasshed, 
and  in  gret  fere  Ro.  of  R.  3959.  Four  examples 
occur  in  Tr.  &  Cr.  That  occurs  in  eight  exam- 
ples. 

c.  The  name  of  a  country  or  place: 

Whylom  ther  was  dwellinge  in  Lumbardye  A 
worthy  knight,  that  born  was  of  Pavye,  In  which 
he  lived  Mar.  T.  3.  This  is  the  regne  of  Libie, 
ther  ye  been,  Of  which  that  Dido  lad^  is  and 
queen  L.  of  G.  W.  III.  70. 

d.  A  name  implying  the  idea  of  person: 

Now  that  I  see  my  lady  bright.  Which  I  have 
loved  with  al  my  might  Book  D.  478.  Nineteen 
examples  occur  in  Tr.  &  Cr.  That  occurs  in 
ninety-nine  examples. 

e.  The  name  of  a  thing: 

Thise  vers  of  gold  and  black  y-writen  were,  The 
whiche  I  gan  a  stounde  to  beholde  Par.  of  F.  142. 
One  hundred  and  two  examples  occur  in  Tr.  & 
Cr.  That  occurs  in  one  hundred  and  forty-two 
examples. 

f.  A  personal  pronoun: 

Such  sorwe  this  lady  to  her  took  That  trewely  I, 
which  made  this  book  Book  D.  96.  Twelve 
examples  occur  in  Tr.  &  Cr.  That  occurs  in  one 
hundred  and  sixty-two  examples. 

g.  A  demonstrative  pronoun: 

I  passe  al  that  which  chargeth  nought  to.seye 
Tr.  &  Cr.  III.  1576.  Distorbe  al  this,  of  which 
thou   art   in   drede   Tr.    &   Cr.    IV.    1113.     Four 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  27 

examples  occur  in  Tr.  &  Cr.  That  occurs  in  thir- 
teen examples. 

h.  An  indefinite  pronoun: 

Ther  walken  many  of  whiche  yow  told  have  I  P. 
T.  202.  I  love  oon  which  that  is  most  ententyf 
Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  838.  Two  examples  occur  in  Tr.  & 
Cr.      That  occurs  in  forty  examples. 

i.    A  whole  sentence  or  sentence  member: 

And  at  the  brondes  ende  out-ran  anoon  As  it  were 
blody  dropes  many  oon;  For  which  so  sore  agast 
was  Emelye  K.  T.  1483.  And  lat  us  caste  how 
forth  may  best  be  drive  This  tyme,  and  eek  how 
freshly  we  may  live  Whan  that  she  cometh,  the 
which  shal  be  right  sone  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  391. 

B.  As  the  equivalent  of  whos  when  it  is  preceded  by  of 
and  implies  the  idea  of  person: 

a.  And  many  a  mayde,  of  which  the  name  I  wante 
Par.  of  F.  287.  For  his  felawe,  daun  Polymites, 
Of  which  the  brother,  daun  Ethyocles,  Ful  wrong- 
fully of  Thebes  held  the  strengthe  Tr.  «&  Cr.  v! 
1489.  Other  examples  are  to  be  found:  CI.  T. 
884;  Ro.  of  R.  4485;  Boe.  IV.  Pr.  4:214. 

C.  As  the  equivalent  of  as  after 

a.  A  noun  modified  by  such: 

and  iugen  that  only  swiche  thinges  ben  purveyed 
of  god,  whiche  that  temporel  welefulnesse  com- 
mendeth  Boe.  I.  Pr.  4:205.  But  bet  is  that  a 
wightes  tonge  reste  Than  entremeten  him  of  such 
doinge  Of  which  he  neyther  rede  can  nor  singe 
Par.  of  F.  516. 

b.  A  noun  modified  by  same: 

and  that  is  thy  mene  mote,  for  the  laste  meridian 
of  the  December,  for  the  same  yere  whiche  that 
thou  hast  purposed  Astr.  II.  44:15. 

D.  After  superlatives  (all  examples  found  are  cited): 

And  if  the  next  thou  wolt  forsake  Which  is  not 


28  Louis  Round  Wilson 

lesse  saverous  Ro.  of  R.  2823.  This  yong-est, 
which  that  wente  un-to  the  toun  P.  T.  509. 

E.  In  combination  with  as  after  the  analogy  of   thcr  as, 
u'/ier  as,  etc.  (all  examples  found  are  cited): 

And  in  the  chambre  whyl  they  were  aboute  Hir 
tretis,  which  as  ye  shal  after  here  CI.  T.  275. 
Set  the  heved  of  the  signe  which  as  thee  list  to 
knowe  his  ascensioun  up-on  the  est  orisonte  Astr. 
II.  28:1. 

F.  In  the  function  of   a  phrase  to  express  time: 

A-cursed  be  the  day  which  that  nature  Shoop  me 
to  ben  a  lyves  creature!  Tr^&  Cr.  IV.  251.     Sith 
thilke  tyrae  which  that  ye  were  born  Frank.  T. 
808.     Two  examples   occur   in   Tr.   &  Cr.     Thai 
occurs  in  twenty  examples. 
24.  Which  is  used  as  a  relative  adjective  very  frequently  in 
Boethitts,  The  Tale  of  Melibeus,  and   The  Persones   Tale, 
and  appears  to  take  the  place  of  demonstrative  pronouns, 
demonstrative  adjectives,  personal  pronouns  of  the  third 
person,  and  the  relative  pronoun  which  itself.     To   its 
frequent  occurrence,  along  with  that  of   the  resumptive 
formulas  as  who  sayth  and  that  is  to  say,  is  to  be    attrib- 
uted, largely,  the  heaviness  of  Chaucer's  prose  style.     In 
The  Astrolabe,  which  was  written  as  a  text  book  for   a 
mere  child,  and  in  the  poetical  works,  which,  as  an  adjec- 
tive, and  the  parenthetical  expressions  mentioned,  appear 
but  rarely  and  do  not  affect  the  style  in  any  appreciable 
way.     It  is  used  with 
A.  A  substantive  which  has  preceded: 

At  Trumpington,  nat  fer  fro  Cantebrigge,  Ther 
goth  a  brook  and  over  that  a  brigg-e,  Up-on  the 
whiche  brook  ther  stant  a  melle  Reve  T.  3.  For 
shrewes  discorden  of  hem-self  by  hir  vyces,  the 
whiche  vyces  al  to-rendeu  hir  consciences;  and 
don  ofte  tyme  thinges,  the  whiche  thinges,  whan 
they  han  don  hem,  they  demen  that  tho  thinges 


OF 

Chaucei'^s  Relative  Constructions  29 


ne  sholden  nat  ben  don  Boe.  IV.  Pr.  6:224,  225. 
Similar  examples  are  numerous  in  the  prose  works. 

B.  A  substantive  which  is  similar  in  meaningf  to  the  sub- 
stantive which  has  preceded: 

This  proude  king-  leet  make  a  statue  of  golde, 
Sixty  cubytes  long-,  and  seven  in  brede,  To  which 
imagfe  bothe  yong-e  and  olde  Comaunded  he  to 
loute  Mo.  T.  171.  After  Accidie  wol  I  speke  of 
Avarice  and  of  Coveitise,  of  which  sinne  seith 
seint  Paule  Per.  T.  §62. 

C.  A  substantive  which   represents    a  preceding-   verbal 
concept: 

Greet  was  the  pitee  for  to  here  hem  pleyne, 
Thurg-h  whiche  pleintes  gan  hir  wo  encresse  M.  of 
L.  T.  970. 

D.  A  substantive  which  sums  up  the  idea  of  a  sentence 
or  clause: 

For  in  this  manere  men  weren  wont  to  maken 
questions  of  the  simplicitee  of  the  purviaunce  of 
g-od,  .  .  .  and  of  the  libertee  of  free  wille;  the 
whiche  thing-es  thou  thy-self  aperceyvest  wel,  of 
what  weig-ht  they  ben  Boe.  IV.  Pr.  6:20.  Hir 
whyte  brest  she  bet,  and  for  the  wo  After  the 
deeth  she  cryed  a  thousand  sythe,  Sin  he  that 
wont  hir  wo  was  for  to  lythe,  She  mot  for-g-oon; 
for  which  disaventure  She  held  hir-self  a  forlost 
creature  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  755. 

Note  1.  E.  A,  Kock,  p.  70,  §160,  A.  b.,  con- 
siders ivhich  an  adjective  and  the  equivalent  of 
such  in  the  following-  sentence: 

But  which  a  cong-regacioun  Of  folk,  as  I  saugh 

rome  aboute  .  .  .  Nas  never  seen  H.  of   F.  III. 

944. 
No  other  similar  examples  occur  in  Chaucer  to 
strengthen    or    weaken    this    seemingly    correct 


30  Louis^Round  Wilson 

explanation.  It  must  be  noted,  however,  that  the 
first  member  of  the  sentence  bears  a  very  close 
resemblance  to  the  following-  citations  from  Chau- 
cer which  Matzner,  III.  201,  260,  would  dispose  of 
as  indirect  questions: 
whiche  a  fool  she  was!  Book  D.  734.  And 
whiche  eyen  my  lady  hadde!  Book  D.  859. 
In  these  examples  it  is  an  indirect  which,  like 
Modern  Eng-lish  what  in  e.  g.    What  a  fool  I 

Note    2.     In    the    following-    sentence,    which 
seems  to  be  used  in  the  sense  of  whichever: 

For  ever,  in  which  half  that  he  be,  He  may  wel 
half  the  g-ardin  see  Ro.  of  R.  1593.        •* 
25.  Whether,  or   its   contracted   form    wher,    occurs    several 
times,  but  only  once  does  it  claim  consideration  as  a  rela- 
tive: 

Now   chese   your-selven,    whether   that    yow    lyketh 
W.  of  B.  T.  371. 
C.  F.  Koch,  II.  p.  286,  without  any  note  or  explanation, 
says: 

"Im  Ae.  und  Me.  kopmt  auch  ein  relatives  whether 
vor:     He  bed  hym  chese,  we)»er  he  wolde.  RG.  5953," 
and  quotes  as  an  additional  illustration  the  sentence  from 
Chaucer  cited  above.     Schrader,  p.  28,  having-  these  sen- 
tences under  consideration,  says: 

"Da   aber   im   Ae.    derartig-e   zweifelhafte    falle   nur 

sehr  wenig-e  sich  finden  und   auch   bei  Chaucer  nur 

dies    eine    beispiel  vorkommt,    so    erscheint    es    uns 

natiirlicher     auch     fiir     diese     beiden    falle    wether 

interrogativ  und  nicht  relativ  zu  fassen." 

E.  A.  Kock,  p.  73,  §172,   F.,   Note,  takes,  the   opposite 

view,  and  in  harmony  with  his  theory   of   the   relative 

ag-ainst    the  indirect    question,  as   outlined  on  pag-e  60, 

§140,  B.,  Note,  contends  that  it  is  a  relative.     He  quotes 

in  support  of  his  view  the  following-  sentences: 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  31 

Ahsa  l^aes  ]ju  wille   Be.  266:22.     utrum   placet,   sum- 
ite!  (the  famous  declaration  of  war  ag"ainst  the  Car- 
thagfenians,  Livius  XXI.  18:13). 
The  position  held  by  Schrader  seems  to  me  to  be  the  cor- 
rect one.     According-ly,  whether^  as  a  pure  relative,  does 
not  occur  in  Chaucer. 


CHAPTER  III 

Differences  Between  That  and  Which 

26.  From  the  examples  cited  under  that  and  which^  it  is 
apparent  that  the  two  relatives  were,  in  general,  used 
to  perform  like  duties.  A  few  differences,  however,  are 
to  be  noted.  •• 

A.  That  is  usually  employed  (1)  after  nouns  preceded  by 
the  definite  article;  (2)  personal  pronouns;  and  (3) 
superlatives. 

B.  Which  is  usually  employed  (1)  if  a  preposition  appears 
before  the  relative;  (2)  if  the  antecedent  is  the  name 
of  a  country  or  river;  and  (3)  to  refer  to  whole  sen- 
tences or  sentence  members. 

27.  Schrader,  pp.  32-37,  in  discussing-  this  topic,  holds  that 
which  is  preferred  to  that  (1)  when  the  relative  clause 
attributes  a  special  characteristic  to  the  antecedent,  and 
(2)  when  the  relative  stands  at  the  beginning-  of  a  num- 
ber of  clauses,  all  of  which  refer  to  the  relative  and  its 
antecedent  as  a  kind  of  text.  Though  these  distinctions 
may  not  be  entirely  correct,  a  view  taken  by  E.  A.  Kock, 
p.  36,  §104,  they  do  point  to  the  fact  noted  in  the  follow- 
ing quotation  from  C.  Alphonso  Smith,  "Short  Circuit  in 
English  Syntax,"  that  which  has  "greater  carrying 
power  than  thaf^  and  when  placed  after  its  antecedent  it 
commands  a  more  unobstructed  view  through  the  clauses 
following  than  that: 

"Moreover,  among  relative  pronouns  it  can  be  easily 
proved  that  who  and  which  have  greater  carrying 
power  than  that.  There  is  noticeable  a  tendency,  at 
least  in  Modern  English,  to  substitute  afid  who  or  and 
which  for  and  that  in  a  series  of  relative  clauses  begin- 

88 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  33 

ning-  with  that.  The  writer  or  speaker  feels  instinct- 
ively that  in  and  that  there  is  a  possibility  of  mistak- 
ing relative  for  demonstrative  that,  whereas  -who  and 
which  are  necessarily  relative."  (Illustrative  sen- 
tence): 

"It  is  the  inexorable  consolidation  and  perpetua- 
tion of  the  secret  that  was  always  in  that  individ- 
uality, and  which  I  shall  carry  to  my  life's  end." 
— Dickens,  Tale  of  Two  Cities,  cap.  iii. 
Though  no  examples  occur   in   Chaucer   in  which    the 
sequence  is  from  that  to  and  which,  a  number  occur  in 
which  the  sequence  is  from  that  to  which.     Occasionally, 
the  opposite  sequence  occurs.     Both  sequences  follow: 

a.  The  grete  tour,  that  was  so  thikke  and  strong-, 
Which  of  the  castel  was  the  chief  dongeoun  K.  T. 
198,  199. 

b.  Of  briddes,  whiche  therinne  were,  That  song-en, 
through  hir  mery  throtes  Ro.  of  R.  506,  507. 

The  ratio  between  a  and  b  is  five  to  one  in  the  examples 
collected.*  A  number  of  sequences  similar  to  a  are  cited 
by  A.  Schmidt,  II.  p.  1197,  Shakespeare  Lexicon.  Only 
one  example  of  b  is  cited.  No  examples  of  the  sequence 
that. .  .and  which,  or  and  who,  are  cited.  One  example  of 
the  sequence  that. .  .whom  occurs  in  Chaucer: 

Withinne  the  cloistre  blisful  of  thy  sydes  Took  mannes 
shap  the  eternal  love  and  pees.  That  of  the  tryne 
compas  and  gyde  is.  Whom  erthe  and  see  and  heven, 
out  of  relees.  Ay  herien  S.  N.  T.  45,  46. 

♦Examples  similar  to  the  following  are  not  considered,  as  the  preposition 
demands  vMch:  This  egle,  of  which  I  have  yow  told,  That  shoou  with 
fethres  as  of  gold  H.  of  F.  II.  21,  22. 


CHAPTER  IV 

General  Relatives 

28.  In  addition  to  who,  the  use  of  which  as  a  g-eneral  relative 
has  already  been  discussed  in  the  second  chapter  of  this 
paper,  whoso  and  whatso  occur  frequently  as  general  rel- 
atives. They  are  rarely  preceded  by  antecedents  and  they 
seldom  take  the  ending-  ever.      Whoso  occurs 

A.  Once  with  an  antecedent: 

A  thousand  Troians  who  so  that  me  yave,  Eche 
after  other,  .  .  .  Ne  mig-hte  me  so  gladen  Tr.  &  Cr. 
II.  977. 

B.  Frequently  without  an  antecedent: 

For  who  so  kissing-  may  attayne,  Of  loves  peyne 
hath,  soth  to  sayne.  The  beste  Ro.  of  R.  3677. 
Who-so  with  Love  wol  g-oon  or  ryde  He  mot  be  cur- 
teys,  and  void  of  pryde  Ro.  of  R.  2351. 

29.  Whosoever  occurs 

A.  Once  with  an  antecedent: 

This  fable  aperteineth  to  yow  alle,  who-so-ever 
desireth  or  seketh  to  lede  his  thoug-ht  in-to  the 
soverein  day  Boe.  III.  M.  12:43. 

Note.  This  example  is  also  interesting-  because 
the  antecedent  j)'<?7C'  all  is  followed  by  a  third  sin- 
gular. 

B.  Without  an  antecedent: 

For  who-so  that  ever  be  so  overcomen  that  he 
ficche  his  eyen  into  the  putte  of  helle  Boe.  III. 
M.  12:45. 

30.  Whoever  occurs  without  an  antecedent: 

And  I  shal  loven,  [sith]    that   I   wil,  Who-ever  lyke 
it  wel  or  il  Ro.  of  R.  3434.     No  other  examples  occur,  i 

U 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  35 

31.  Wliatso  is  used  as  a  g-eneral  relative 

A.  With  ail  antecedent: 

every  lover  thoug-hte,  That  al  was  wel,  what-so 
he  seyde  or  wroug-hte  Tr.  &  Cr.  III.  1799.  No 
other  examples  occur. 

B.  Without  an  antecedent: 

My  peyne  is  this,  that  what  so  I  desire  That  have 
I  not  Comp.  of  P.  99.  For  what  so  that  this  carpen- 
ter answerde,  It  was  for  nog^lit  Mil.  T.  657.  wliat- 
so-ever  in  al  these  three  Is  spoken,  .  .  .  The  wey 
therto  is  so  overte  H.  of  F.  II.  208.  Ne  semed  it 
[as]  that  she  of  him  roug-hte.  Nor  of  his  peyne,  or 
what-so-ever  he  thoug-hte  Tr.  &  Cr.  I.  497. 

Note   1.      Whatever  occurs   once   with   relative 
rather  that  interrog-ative  force: 

I  praise  no-thing  what  ever  they  see  Ro.  of  R. 
2430. 
Note  2.      What  may  be  separated  from  so  by 
inserted  words: 

what  after  so  befalle,  This  eutremes  is  dress- 
ed for  you  alle  Par.  of  F.  664. 

32.  The  forms  whichso  and  -whichsoever  do  not  occur.* 

*See  Schrader,  p.  30. 


CHAPTER  V 

Relation  Expressld  through  As 

33.  Oaly  two*  examples   occur  in  which    as    stands  alone 
without  a  preceding-  correlative: 

Nehis  rotes  ne  his  othere  g^eres,  As  been  his  centres 
and  his  arguments  Frank.  T.  549.  Make  thy  rote  fro 
the  laste  daj^  of  Decembere  in  the  maner  as  I  have 
taught  Astr.  II.  44:34. 

Note.  In  several  sentences  similar  to  the  following, 
as  can  be  regarded  as  the  equivalent  of  thai  -which,  or 
which,  but  it  is  better  to  regard  it  as  a  conjunctive 
adverb: 

Every  man  dide,  right  anoon,  As  to  hunting  fil  to 
doon  Book  D.  374.  And  hoom  un-to  hir  housband 
is  she  fare,  And  toldc  him  al  as  ye  han  herd  me 
sayd  Frank.  T.  819. 

34.  yl5«occurs  very  frequently  as  the  relative  correlative  of 
sivich  : 

Hast  thou  not  seyd,  .  .  .  Swich  thing  as  in  the 
law  of  love  forbode  is?  Len.  a.  Sco.  17.  for  swich 
maner  folk,  I  gesse,  Defamen  love,  as  no-thing  of 
him  knowe  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  860. 

Note  1.  No  examples  occur  in  which  as  is  the 
correlative  of  same.  One  example,  however,  after 
its  equivalent  ihilke,  occurs: 

In  many  places  were  nightingales,  Alpes,  finches, 
and  wodewales,  That  in  her  swete  song  delyten 
In  thilke  place  as  they  habyten  Ro.  of  R.  660. 

♦Differences  between  citatious  given  above  and  in  Schrader  are  to  be 
explained  by  differences  in  texts  uffed. 

86 


Chaucer'' s  Relative  Constructions  37 

Note  2,  E.  A.  Kock,  p.  53,  §  134,  B.,  contends 
that  in  the  following-  examples  as  is  used  as  a  con- 
junctive adverb,  and  not  as  a  relative: 

at  Troye,   whan  Pirrus  brak   the   wal  .  .  .  Nas 
herd  swich  tendre  weping-  for  pitee  As  (a5  that 
which')    in   the   chambre  was  for  hir  departinge 
Chauc.   479:293.*     these   be    no  swiche   tyding-es 
As  {as  those  which)  I  mene  of  Chauc.  345: 1895. f 
In  discussing  this  point  he  says:     "In  these  exam- 
ples a  comparison  and  an  ellipsis  are  easily  noticed. 
And  such  is  not  qualitatively  indifferent  (§  132  A).     It 
expresses  by  itself  a  certain  quality  or  circumstance, 
which    the    hearer    or   reader   is    supposed    to   know 
already,   or  which  will   be  explained  afterwards,    but 
which  is  not  explained  in  the  a5-clause."     In  making 
this  distinction,  he  goes  a  step  further  than  J.  A.  H. 
Murray,  A  New  English  Dictionary^  and  Matzner,  III. 
534,  who  indicate  no  difference   between   the   usag-es 
mentioned   above.     Inasmuch    as   Kock   is  forced,   in 
his  discussion   of    this   point,  to   the  employment  of 
hypothetical    sentences   to   illustrate  the  distinction, 
and  admits  the  difficulty  of  detecting-  the  occurrence  of 
the  implied  comparison,  I  do  not  feel  that  the  point 
is  well  taken. 
35.  As  is  occasionally  replaced  by 

A.  That: 

I  shal  moeve  swiche  thinges  that  percen  hem-self 
depe  Boe.  II.  Pr.  3:17. 

B.  Which: 

and  iugen  that  only  swiche  thinges  ben  purveyed 
of  god,  whiche  that  temporel  welefulnesse  com- 
mendeth  Boe.  I.  Pr.  4:205. 
C    That,  with  phrasal  value: 

This  ugly  sergeant,  in  the  same  wyse  That  he 
hir  doghter  caughte  CI.  T.  618. 

♦Skeat's  edition,  M.  of  L.  T.  195. 
tSkeat's  edition,  H.  of  F.  III.  805. 


38  Louis  Round  Wilson 

D.  Relative  adverbs: 

And  si  then  thou  hast  wepen  many  a  drope,  And 

seyd   swich    thing    wher-with  thy  god  is  plesed 

Tr.  &  Cr.  I.  942.     In  swich  another  place  lede, 

Thcr  thou  shalt  here  many  oon  H.  of  P.  III.  825. 

36.  In  the  following  example,  as  occurs  with  phrasal  value: 

But  in  the  same  ship  as  he  hir  fond,   .  .  .  Hir  .  .   . 

He  sholde  putte  M.  of  L.  T.  701.     Examples  are  rare. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Relation  Exprkssed  Through  Relative  Adverbs 

37.  Relation  is  frequently  expressed  in  Chaucer  by  means  of 
relative  adverbs.  These  are  often  combined  with  prepo- 
sitions and  are  followed  by  a  pleonastic  as,  or  l/iaL  As, 
when  thus  employed,  is  always  the  equivalent  of  pleonas- 
tic t/iat.     The  following-  adverbs  occur: 

A.  W/ier: 

a.  Without  prepositions: 

Ther  is,  at  the  west  syde  of  Itaille,  ...  A  lusty 
playne,  .  .  .  Wher  many  a  tour  and  toun  thou 
mayst  biholde  CI.  T.  4. 

b.  With  prepositions: 

And  made  a  sigfne,  wher-by  that  he  took  That  his 
preyere  accepted  was  that  day  K.  T.  1408. 

B.  T/ier: 

a.  Without  prepositions: 

How  sholde  I  thanne,  .  .  .  Come  to  the  blisse  ther 
Crist  eterne  on  lyve  is?  Mar.  T.  408. 

b.  With  prepositions: 

He  priketh  thurg-h  a  fair  forest,  Ther-inne  is  many 
a  wilde  best  Sir  T.  44. 

C.  Why: 

a.  Without  prepositions: 

For  thou  art  cause  why  thy  felawe  deyth  Sbm.  T. 
331. 

b.  With  prepositions: 

Thy  maladye  a-wey  the  bet  to  dryve,  For-why 
thou  semest  syk  Tr.  &  Cr.  11.  1516. 

D.  W/ian: 

At  Ester,  whan  it  lyketh  me  Ro.  of  R.  6435, 

89 


40  Louis  Round  Wilson 

E.  Whennes: 

a.  Without  a  preposition: 

he  was  wont  to  seken  the  causes  whennes  the 
souning"  windes  moeven  Boe.  I.  M.  2:12. 

b.  Preceded  by  a  preposition: 

Thou  shalt  eek  considere  alle  thise  causes,  fro 
whennes  they  been  sprong-en  T.  of  M.  §24.  they 
retornen  sone  ayein  in-to  the  same  thingfes  fro 
whennes  they  ben  arraccd  Boe.  III.  Pr.  11:110. 

F.  Whider: 

But  we  that  ben  heye  aboven,  siker  fro  alle 
tumulte  and  wode  noise,  warnestored  and  enclosed 
in  swich  a  palis,  whider  as  that  chateringe  or 
anoyinge  folye  ne  may  nat  atayne  Boe.  I.  Pr.  3:56. 


CHAPTER  VII 

Omission  in  the  Rei^ative  Sentence 

38.  Throughout  its  entire  history,  the  Eng-lish  lang-uag-e  has 
been  characterized  by  a  rather  frequent  occurrence  of 
relative  ellipsis,  especially  in  the  accusative  case  in 
restrictive  clauses.  Occurrences  in  the  nominative  case, 
and  in  non-restrictive  clauses,  have  been  noted.  In  this 
chapter,  I  wish  to  give  examples  of  the  ellipses,  not  only 
of  the  relatives  themselves,  but  of  antecedents,  preposi- 
tions, and  verbs,  which  occur  in  Chaucer's  adjective 
clauses.     Examples  follow: 

A.  In  which  the  relative  in  the  nominative  case  is  to  be 
supplied  after 

a.  Substantives: 

He  sente  after  a  cherl,  was  in  the  toun  Ph.  T. 
140.  He  had  a  knight,  was  called  Achates  L.  of 
G.  W.  III.  41.  Ye  ryde  as  coy  and  stille  as  dooth 
a  mayde,  Were  newe  spoused  CI.  T.  Prol.  3.  they 
herd  a  belle  clinke  Biforn  a  cors,  was  caried  to 
his  grave  P.  T.  337.  Other  examples  are  to  be 
found  as  follows:  Ch.  Y.  T.  581;  Ro.  of  R.  1199; 
Book  D.  702;  Par.  of  F.  19;  Tr.  &  Cr.  V.  165;  h. 
of  G.  W.  Prol.  498;  Sir  T,  4;  Som.  T.  121;  Book 
D.  823;  H.  of  F.  II.  536. 

b.  Pronouns: 

Ther  was  noon  with  Gamelyn  *  wolde  wrastle 
more  T.  of  G.  265.  But  ther  is  [noon]  a-lyve 
here  Wolde  for  a  fers  make  this  wo!  Book  D.  740. 
Ther  be  but  fewe  can  hir  begyle  Book  D.  674. 
I  asked  oon,  ladde  a  lymere  Book  D.  365. 

41 


42  Louts  Round  Wilson 

B.  In  which  the  relative  in  the  objective  case  is  to  be 
supplied  after  substantives: 

Greet  was  the  wo  the  knig-ht  hadde  in  his  thoght 

W.  of  B.  227.     Alias!  that  day  The  sorwe  I  suf- 

fred,  and  the  wo!  Book  D.  1245. 

Note.     Examples  occur  also  in  which  relatives 

governed  by  prepositions  are  omitted: 

Ye,  that  to  me,  .  .  .  ful  lever  were  Than  al 
the  good  the  sonne  aboute  gooth  Tr.  &  Cr. 
III.  1108.  Of  al  the  lond  the  sonne  on  shyn- 
eth  shene  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  1239.  Ther  is 
a-nother  thing  I  take  of  hede  Tr.  &  Cr.  I.  577. 

C.  In  which  prepositions  are  to  be  supplied  with  relatives 
after  conceptions  other  than  those  of  time: 

To  knowe  a  sooth  of  that  thou  art  in  doute  Tr.  & 
Cr.  V.  1295.  For  the  mochel  love  •  my  fader 
loved  thee  T.  of  G.  400.  Other  examples  are  to 
be  found:  Mo.  T.  486,  487;  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  1626, 
1627;  Ro.  of  R.  2888;  Tr.  &  Cr.  648;  Ro.  of  R. 
2936. 

D.  In  which  prepositions  and  relatives  are  to  be  supplied 
after  conceptions  of  time: 

Sin  thilke  day  ye  wente  fro  this  place  L.  of  G.  W. 
VIII.  112.  Til  thilke  tyme  he  sholde  y-freten  be 
L.  of  G.  W.  VI.  67.  Other  examples  are  to  be 
found:  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  1656;  Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  37; 
Mo.  T.  191. 

E.  In  which  the  antecedent  is  to  be  supplied: 

What!  shal  she  crye,  or  how  shal  she  asterte  That 
hath  her  by  the  throte?  L.  of  G.  W.  V.  124.  For 
wit  thou  wel,  withouten  wene,  In  swich  astat  ful 
oft  have  been  That  have  the  yvel  of  love  assayd 
Ro.  of  R.  2417.  Other  examples  are  to  be  found: 
Ro.  of  R.  1054;  *Boe.  II.  Pr.  3:53;  Comp.  to  my 
Lode-S.  8;  Boe.  III.  Pr.  12:151;  Boe.  IV.  Pr. 
4:51;  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  777. 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  43 

Note.     An  example  of  omission  and  attraction 
occurs  in: 

Me  thinketh  this,  that  thou  were  depe  y-holde 
To  whom  that  saved  thee  fro  cares  colde!  L. 
of  G.  W.  VI.  70. 

F.  In  which  antecedent,  relative,  and  preposition  are  to 
be  supplied: 

For  yif  that  they  mig"hten  wrythen  awey  in 
othre  manere  than  they  ben  purveyed  Boe.  V.  Pr. 
3:16.     No  other  examples  occur. 

G.  In  which  the  relative  and  a  verb  are  to  be  supplied: 

She  hadde  seyd,  and  torned  the  cours  of  hir 
resoun  to  some  othre  thing-es  to  ben  treted  and  to 
ben  y-sped  Boe.  V.  Pr.  1:2.  Where  fyndest  thou 
a  swinker  of  labour  Have  me  unto  his  confessour? 
Ro.  of  R.  6858.     This  use  is  rare. 

H.  In  which  a  preposition  is  to  be  supplied: 

As  I  have  seyd,  by  him  that  I  have  sworn  L.  of 
G.  W.  IX.  101.  Save  in  somme  thing-es  that  he 
was  to  blame  CI.  T.  20.     This  use  is  rare. 

I.    In  which  the  that  of  the  that  .  .  .  his  construction  is  to 
be  supplied: 

And  to  be  bounden  under  subieccioun  Of  oon,  she 
knoweth  not  his  condicioun  M.  of  L.  T.  173.  No 
other  examples  occur. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Concord  in  the  Relative  Sente;nce 

39.  C.  S.  Baldwin,  p.  55,  §  179,  The  Inflections,  and  Syntax  of 
the  Morte  cf  Arthur,  calls  attention  to  a  number  of  sen- 
tences in  the  edition  by  Sommer  in  which  plural  antece- 
dents are  followed  in  the  dependent  relative  clause  by 
verbs  ending-  in  -thi  With  reg-ard  to  them  he  says:  "The 
plural  'th  seems  to  survive  in  the  following:" 

wil  ye  al   that  loveth  me  speke  with  Merlyn  47:13; 

ye  knyg-htes  arraunt,  the  whiche  goth  to  seke,  etc. 

629:9;    I  praye  you  gyue  to  me  al  my  ryg-htes  that 
long-eth  to  a  chrysten  man,  858:19;  al  lentyl  men  and 

lentyl  wymmen  that  redeth  this  book,  861:4. 
Continuing,  he  says:  "It  will  be  observed  that  all  these 
instances  are  in  relative  clauses."  W.  E.  Mead,  p.  279, 
Selections  froin  Sir  Thomas  Malorfs  Morte  Darthur, 
gives  the  following  explanatory  note  on  the  -///  form 
occurring-  in  the  second  example  given  above: 

'"'■goth.     The  plural  form  in  -th  may  be  the  survival  of 

the  older  form." 
These  suggestions,  taken  in  connection  with  the  addi- 
tional example  from  Sommer's  edition:* 

come  on  fyersly,  and  soo  slee  alle  that  ever  before  you 

stondeth  845:26, 
and  the  one  cited  by  Kellner,  p.  205,   §  331,  Historical 
Outlines  of  English  Syntax: 

Aefter   J»aem   Romane  curon  III  hund    cempena    and 

siex,  )>aet  sceolde  to  anwige  gang-an. — Orosius,  72,  15, 

*A11  sentences  taken  from  Malory  are  paged  according  to  the  edition  by 
Sommer  and  punctuated  according  to  the  editions  by  Mead  or  Baldwin. 

44 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  45 

point  to  the  fact  that  the  notion  of  plurality  implied  in 
a  plural  antecedent  becomes  contracted  or  focalized  into 
a  singular  concept  on  having  to  pass  through  the  medium 
of  the  relative;  and  that  in  reality  the  forms  \n-th,  which 
Baldwin  and  Mead  consider  Old  English  plurals,  are 
genuine  Middle  English  singulars.  This  conclusion  is 
confirmed  by  the  examples  from  Chaucer  below  (see  also 
C.  Alphonso  Smith's  "Shakespeare's  Present  Indicative 
^S-Endings  with  Plural  Subjects")*  in  which  plural  ante- 
cedents are  followed  by 

A.  Singular  forms  of  the  verb  to  be: 

And  after  that  the  melodye  herde  he  That  com- 
eth  of  thilke  speres  thryes  three,  That  welle  is  of 
musyke  and  melodye  Par.  of  F.  62.  Almighty 
god,  that  saveth  al  mankinde,  Have  on  Custance 
and  on  hir  child  som  minde.  That  fallen  is  in 
hethen  land  eft-sone  M.  of  L.  T.  811.  For  we, 
.  .  .  wol  us  swich  formes  make  As  most  able  is 
our  preyes  for  to  take  Freres  T.  174.  Now  cometh 
ydel  wordes,t  that  is  with-outen  profit  of  him  that 
speketh  tho  wordes  Per.  T,  §  47.  Now  wol  I 
speken  of  lesinges,t  which  generally  is  fals  sig- 
nificaciuon  of  word  Per.  T.  §  39. 

B.  Singulars  in  -th: 

Ye,  blisful  god,  han  me  so  wel  beset  In  love,  y-wis, 
that  al  that  bereth  lyf  Imaginen  ne  cowde  how  to 
ben  bet  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  835.  And  dide  also  his 
othere  observaunces  That  to  a  lovere  longeth  in 
this  cas  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  1346.  And  alle  tho  that 
suffreth  him  his  wille  L.  of  G.  W.  IV.  208.  and 
preye  god  save  the  king,  that  is  lord  of  this  Ian- 
gage,  and  alle  that  him  feyth  bereth  and  obejeth 

*Pnhli cation K  of  The  Modern  Lmiguage  Assoriatioii,  IV,  new  series,  363ff. 

iYdd  wordei^  and  lesivges,  though  plurals,  may  be  conceived  of  as  single 
topics  to  be  discussed.  If  so  considered,  the  correct  concord  is  preserved 
in  the  relative  clause. 


46  Louis  Round  Wilson 

Aslr.  Prol.  40.  But  ever  worthe  hem  wel  •  that  , 
doth  thee  moche  sorwe  T.  of  G.  482.  somine  of  i 
hem  shewen  the  boce  of  hir  shap,  and  the  horrible 
swollen  membres,  that  semeth  lyk  the  maladie  of  ' 
hirnia  Per.  T.  §  27.  And  thogh  so  be  that  no  man  j 
can  outrely  telle  the  nombre  of  the  twig-ges  and  \ 
of  the  harmes  that  cometh  of  Pryde  Per.  T.  J 
§  24.  And  kepeth  in  semblant  alle  his  observances  ■ 
That  sowneth  in-to  g-entillesse  of  love  Sq.  T.  509. 
The  thridde,  is  foule  wordes,  that  fareth  lyk  fyr  < 
Per.  T.  §  76.  ^ 

Note  1.  In  the  following-  examples  it  is  difl&cult 
to  determine  the  number  of  the  antecedents  as 
conceived  by  Chaucer: 

Now  comth   the    remedie    agayns    Lecherie, 
and  that   is,  generally,  Chastitee  and  Conti- 
nence, that  restreyneth  alle  the  desordeynee 
moevinges  that  comen  of  fleshy  talentes  Per. 
T.  §  77.     Gamelyn  held  his  feste  With  moche 
mirth  and  solas  •  that  was  there  T.  of  G.  328. 
Note  2.     In  the  following  sentence  the  emer- 
gence of  he  proves  a  sudden  change  to  the  singular: 
It  resembleth  to  thise  flyinge  flyes  that  we 
clepen  been,   that,   after  that  he  hath  shad 
hise  agreable  honies,  he  fleeth  away  Boe.  III. 
M.  7:3. 
Note  3.     With  these  may  be  cited  two  doubtful 
sentences  from  Malory: 

for  within  a  whyle  he  had  de fouled  many 
good  knyghtes  of  the  Table  Round,  sauf 
twenye,  that  was  Syr  Launcelot  and  Sire  Per- 
cyvale  619:20.  Whanne  Bors  had  told  hym 
of  the  adventures  of  the  Sancgreal,  suche  as 
had  befalle  hym,  and  his  thre  felawes,  that 
was  Launcelot,  Percyval,  Galahad,  and  hym 
self  724:21. 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  47 

40.  Other  interesting-  facts  concerning-  concord  in  the  relative 
clauses  are: 

A.  A  plural  form  of  the  verb  is  used  after  a  sing-ular 
antecedent.    This  is  plainly  the  constructio  per  synestn: 

And  many  an  ympne  for  your  halydayes,  That 
highten  Balades,  Roundels,  Virelays  L.  of  G.  W. 
Prol.  411.  Ne  ther  nas  foul  that  cometh  of  engen- 
drure,  That  they  ne  were  prest  in  hir  presence 
Par.  of  F,  307.  Ther  nis  planete  in  firmament, 
Ne  in  air,  ne  in  erthe,  noon  element,  That  the}'^ 
ne  yive  me  a  yif t  echoon  Of  weping-  Book  D.  695. 
Coempcioun,  that  is  to  seyn,  comune  achat  or 
bying  to-gidere,  that  were  estasblisshed  up-on  the 
people  Boe.  I.  Pr.  4:65. 

Note.  With  these  may  be  cited  the  following- 
from  Malory: 

And    thenne    every    knyghte    of    the    Round 
Table  that  were  there  at  that  tyme  757:10. 

B.  Relatives  referring  to  collective  nouns  are  sometimes 
followed  by  singular  verbs,  at  other  time?  by  plural 
verbs: 

Of  al  the  folk  that  on  the  daunce  is  Ro.  of  R. 
1002.  or  of  folk  that  been  entred  in-to  ordre 
Per.  T.  §  76. 

Note.  A  plural  verb  form  is  usually  employed. 
In  the  following  example  from  Malory  both  forms 
follow  in  the  same  sentence: 

Thenne  the  party  that    was    ayenst    kynge 
Arthur  were  wel  comforted  743:27.    No  exam- 
ples of  this  kind  occur  in  Chaucer. 
C  Chaucer's  skill  in  handling  relative  clauses  referring 
to  personal  pronouns  of  the  first  and  second  persons 
is  shown  in  that  he  violates  the  principle  of  concord 
but  rarely: 

and  it  am  I  That  loveth  so  bote  Emelye  the 
brighte  K.  T.  879.     Ye,  that  is  out  of  drede  Tr. 


48  Louis  R^und  Wilson 

&  Cr.  I.  775.  Ye  yeve  g-ood  counseil,  sikirly,  That 
prechith  me  al-day  Ro.  of  R.  5174.  But  shal  I 
thus  [to]  yow  my  deeth  for-g-ive,  That  causeles 
doth  me  this  sorow  drye?  Amor.  Comp.  32.  Ladyes, 
I  preye  ensample  taketh,  Ye  that  ageins  your  love 
mistaketh  Ro.  of  R.  1540.  No  other  examples 
were  found. 

Note.     The  dominance  of  the  3d.  singular,  as 
in  §  39,  A,  B,  is  to  be  noted  here. 


CHAPTER  IX 

The  Structure  of  Chaucer's  Relative  Sentence 

41.  In  the  first  part  of  this  chapter,  I  have  subjected  the 
construction  of  Chaucer's  relative  clause  to  a  treatment 
very  similar  to  that  g-iven  by  L.  Kellner  in  his  edition  of 
Caxton's  Blanchardyn  and  Eglantine.  Thoug-h  Caxton 
wrote  a  century  later  than  Chaucer,  he  deviates  but  lit- 
tle in  his  use  of  the  relative  clause  from  the  norm  fur- 
nished by  his  predecessor.  Chaucer  uses  three  general 
types  of  relative  construction.  These  will  be  treated 
under  A,  B,  C: 

A.  The  antecedent  or  correlative  is  a  noun  or  pronoun  in 
a  complete  sentence  which  is  followed  by  a  complete 
relative  clause: 

He   conquered    al    the   reg-ne   of   Femenye,   That 
whylom  was  y-cleped  Scithia  K.  T.  9. 
a.  If  the  relative  is  in  the  nominative  case,  two  forms 
occur: 

1.  The  relative,  as  in  Modern  Eng-lish,  is  not 
followed  by  a  pleonastic  personal  pronoun: 

Ful  craftier  to  pley  she  was  Than  Athalus, 
that  made  the  g-ame  Book  D.  663. 
2.  The  relative  is  followed  by  a  pleonastic  per- 
sonal pronoun: 

A  knig-ht  ther  was,  and  that  a  worthy  man, 
That  fro  the  tyme  that  he  first  bigan  To 
ryden  out,  he  loved  chivalryeProl.  C.  T.  44. 
Note.  This  is  not  a  correct  Modern  Eng-- 
lish  construction.  For  a  discussion  of  the 
combinations  that  .  .  .  Ae,  that  he.,  etc.,  see 
§§42,43. 

49 


so  Louis  Round  Wilson 

b.  If   the  relative  is  in  an  oblique   case,  two  forms 
occur: 

1.  Examples  in  which,  as  in  Modern  English, 
simple  relative  and  prepositional  forms,  such  as 
whos,  tuhom,  of  whom,  in  tvhich^  that .  .  .  to,  etc., 
are  used: 

And,  as  I  seide,  amiddes  lay  Ciprj'de,  To 
whom  on  knees  two  yonge  folkes  cryde  Par.  of 
F.  278.     This  is  the  usual  construction. 

2.  Examples  in  which  the  demonstrative  rela- 
tive that  followed  by  an  oblique*  case  of  a  per- 
sonal pronoun,  is  used.  In  these  examples,  that 
.  .  .  his  stands  for  whose,  that  .  .  .  him  for  whom, 
etc. 

Genitives: 
Ther  nas  baillif,  ne  herde,  ne  other  hyne, 
That  he  ne  knew  his  sleighte  and  his  covyne 
C.  T.  Prol.  604.  Whilom  ther  was  an  irons 
potestat.  As  seith  Senek,  that,  duringe  his 
estaat,  Up-on  a  day  out  riden  knightes  two 
Som.  T.  310.  With  his  slepy  thousand  sones 
That  alway  for  to  slepe  hir  wone  is  H.  of  F. 
I.  76.  Now  fele  I  wel  the  goodnesse  of  this 
wyf.  That  bothe  after  hir  deeth,  and  in  hir 
lyf,  Hir  grete  bountee  doubleth  hir  renoun  L. 
of  G.  W.  Prol.  509.  Ther  was  a  womman  eek, 
that  hight  Shame,  that,  who  can  reken  right, 
Trespas  was  hir  fader  name  Ro.  of  R,  3032. 
Al  were  they  sore  y-hurt,  and  namely  oon. 
That  with  a  spere  was  thirled  his  brest-boon 
K.  T.  1852.     If  they  be  swich   folk  as  they 

•Genitives  of  the  personal  pronouns:  Masc.,  his;  fern.,  hire,  hir;  nent., 
his;  plural,  here,  (her,  her,  hir). 

Datives  and  accnsatives:  Masc.,  him;  fem.,  hir,  hire,  here;  ueat.,  hit,  it, 
plural,  hem. — R.  Morris,  Chaucer:  Tfie  Prologue,  The  Knightex  Tale,  Tlie 
Nonne  Preestes  TaU,  p.  xxxv. 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  51 

semen,  So  clene,  as  men  her  clothis  demen, 
And  that  her  wordis  folowe  her  dede,  It  is 
gret  pite  Ro.  of  R.  7251.  Ne  she  hath  kin 
noon  of  hir  blood,  That  she  nis  ful  hir  enemy 
Ro.  of  R.  269. 

Note.     Which  is  used  similarly  in  the  fol- 
lowing- example: 

Set  the  heved  of  the  signe  which  as  thee 
list  to  knowe  his  ascensioun  up-on  the  est 
orisonte  Astr.  II.  28:1. 

Datives  and  Accusatives : 
What  sleighte  is  it,  thogh  it  be  long  and 
hoot.  That  he  nil  fiude  it  out  in  some  manere? 
Mar.  T.  883.  Ther  is  som  mete  that  is  ful 
deyntec  holde,  That  in  this  lond  men  recche 
of  it  but  smal  Sq.  T.  63.  For  in  the  lond 
ther  nas  no  crafty  man,  That  geometric  or  ars- 
metrik,  can,  .  .  .  That  Theseus  ne  yaf  him 
mete  and  wages  K.  T.  1042.  Ther  nas  to  hir 
no  maner  lettre  y-sent  That  touched  love, 
from  any  maner  wight,  That  she  ne  shewed 
hit  him,  er  hit  was  brent  An.  &  Ar.  115. 
Other  examples  are  to  be  found:  Per.  T.  §11; 
Ro.  of  R.  681;  T.  of  G.  512;  Boe.  III.  Pr. 
2:69;  Mil.  T.  244. 

Note  1.     Which  is  used  similarly  in  the  fol- 
lowing examples: 

But  what  shal  I  seye  of  dignitees  and  of 
powers,  the  whiche  ye  men,  that  neither 
knowen  verray  dignitee  ne  verray  power, 
areysen  hem  as  heye  as  the  hevene?  Boe.  II. 
Pr.  6:1.  thanne  is  it  covenable  to  tellen 
specially  of  sinnes  whiche  that  many  a  man 
per-aventure  ne  demeth  hem  nat  sinnes  Per. 
T.  §22.  Ther  been  ful  fewe,  whiche  that 
I  wolde  profre  To  shewen  hem  thus  rauchc 


52  Louis  Round  Wilson 

of  m}-  science  Ch.  Y.  T.  570.  Al  redj 
out  my  woful  gfost  to  drjve;  Which  I 
delaye,  and  holde  him  yet  in  honde  Tr.  & 
Cr.  V.  1371. 

Note  2.     This  construction  is  very  rarely 
met  with  in  Modern  English.      For  an  expla- 
nation  of    its   occurrence   and  for  examples 
in  Modern  English,  see  §  42. 
B.  The  principal  clause  is  divided  into  two  parts  by  the 
relative  clause: 

O  lady  myn,  that  called  art  Cleo,   Thou  be  my 
speed  fro  this  forth  Tr.  «&  Cr.  II.  8. 
With  reference  to  this  form  of  construction  Kellner, 
p.  xlii,  Blanchardyn  and  Eglantine^  says: 

"In  Old  and  Middle  English   this  type  is  nearly 
always  a  sort  of  anacoluthon  to  our  modern  eyes 
and  ears,  and  perhaps  it  was  such  indeed.     The 
essential  point  in  which  this  construction  differs 
from  the  modern  use  is,  that  the  correlative  always 
appears  in  the  nojninative  case,  without  regard  to 
its  place  in  the  sentence;    it  is  onl}"  the  redundant 
pronoun,    personal   or   ix)ssessive,    in  the  second 
part,  which  marks  the  subjective  or  objective  case 
of  this  correlative." 
Two  types  are  to  be  distinguished  under  this  division: 
a.  If  the  correlative  or  antecedent  of  the  relative  pro- 
noun is  the  subject  of  the  independent  sentence, 
the  redundant  personal  pronoun  is  in  the  nomina- 
tive case: 
These  wommen,  whiche  that  in  the  cite  dwelle, 
They  sette  hem  doun,  and  seyde  as  I  shal  telle 
Tr.  &  Cr.  IV.  685. 

Note  I.  This  resumptive  use  of  the  personal 
pronoun,  though^xomparatively  frequent,  is  not 
characteristic  of  Chaucer.  As  in  Modern  Eng- 
lish, the  pronoun  is  usually  omitted, 


Chaucer's  Relative  Constructions  53 

Note  2.  In  the  following-  sentence,  which 
.  .  .  his  is  equal  to  whose.  The  redundant  pro- 
noun is  omitted: 

the  kinges  dere  sone,  .  .  .  Which  alwey  for  to 
do  wel  is  his  wone,  ...  so  lovetli   thee  Tr.  & 
Gr.  11.  318. 
b.  If  the  correlative  or  antecedent  of  the  relative  pro- 
noun   is    the  direct  or  indirect  object  of  the  sen- 
tence, the  redundant  pronoun  is  in  an  oblique  case: 
And  Pandarus,  that  in  a  study  stood,  Er  he  was 
war,  she  took  him  by  the  hood  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  1180. 
For  thilke  thing-  that  simply  is  o  thing,  .  .  .  the 
errour   and    folye    of    mankinde    departeth    and 
devydeth  it  Boe.  III.  Pr.  9:13.      Other  examples 
are  to  be  found:      T.  of  M.  §71;    Book  D.  1326; 
Boe.  III.  Pr.  9:132;    Boe.  III.  Pr.   5:48;    Boe.  IV. 
Pr.  2:189. 

Note.     Kellner's   statement,  p.  xliii,  Blanchar- 

dyn  and  Eglantine^  to  the  effect  that  b  is  appar- 

entlj  the  rule  in  Caxton,  will  not  hold  in  Chaucer. 

The   relative   clause   precedes    the    principal    clause. 

The  use  of  the  redundant  pronoun  is  the  same  as  in 

class  B: 

a.  If  the  relative  clause  is  the  subject  of  the  sentence, 
the  redundant  pronoun,  if  used,  is  in  the  nom- 
inative case: 

And  who-so  seyth  that  for  to  love  is  vyce,  .  .  .  He 
outher  is  envyous,  or  right  nyce  Tr.  &  Cr.  II.  855. 
Note.  Numerous  examples  of  this  construction 
occur.  The  resumptive  pronoun  is  employed  more 
frequently  than  it  is  omitted.  The  ratio  is  three 
to  one. 

b.  If  the  relative  clause  is  the  direct  or  indirect  object 
of  the  sentence,  the  redundant  pronoun  is  in  an 
oblique  case: 

Who  me  chastysith,  I  him  hate  Ro.  of  R.  3331. 


54  Louis  Round  Wilson 

Note.  This  construction  is  very  rare.  I  find 
no  example  in  which  the  redundant  pronoun  is 
omitted. 
42.  In  the  relative  sentences  g-iven  in  classes  §41,  A  and  B, 
in  which  that  is  followed  by  an  oblique  case  of  a  personal 
pronoun  {that  .  .  .  his,  etc.),  the  personal  form  is  used  to 
express  the  case  relation  of  the  relative  to  its  antecedent. 
The  use  of  this  combination  of  relative  and  personal  pro- 
noun is  limited  exclusively  to  the  function  of  expressing- 
the  oblique  case  relations  of  the  inflectionless  that.  It 
compensates,  as  it  were,  for  the  loss  of  the  original  case 
endings  of  the  relative.  However,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  these  oblique  cases  of  the  personal  pronouns 
thus  emplyed  have  definite  values,  they  must  be  distin- 
guished from  their  nominative  forms  in  the  combinations 
that .  .  .  he,  that  .  .  .  they,  etc.,  in  which  the  nominative 
forms  are  used  pleonastically  or  resumptively. 

Note  I.  The  causes  which  made  necessary  this  periph- 
rasis were:  (1)  the  loss  of  the  case  endings  of  the 
Old  English  relative  A^t;  (2)  the  difficulty  of  handling 
the  oblique  forms  whose  and  whom;  (3)  and  the  refusal  of 
the  relative  that,  unless  it  was  the  equivalent  of  that 
which,  to  be  preceded  by  prepositions. 

Note  2.  The  rare  combinations  which  .  .  .  his,  which 
.  .  .  hitn,  etc,,  seem  to  be  due  to  the  analogy  of  the  cor- 
responding combinations  with  that. 

Note  3.  A  curious  survival  of  which  in  the  combina- 
tions which  he,  xvhich  .  .  .  his,  is  to  be  noted  in  the  fol- 
lowing dialect  extracts  from  Sidney  Lanier,  Poejns,  pp. 
180-184: 

I  knowed  a  man,  which  he  lived  in  Jones.    This  man — 
which    his   name   it   was   also   Jones.     Yan's  Jones, 
which   you   bought  his   land.      My   lower   corn-field, 
which  it  lay  'Long-side  the  road  that  runs  my  way. 
Three  other  examples  occur  in  the  same  pages.     The  two 


Chaucer'' s  Relative  Constructions  55 

following-  are  taken  from  Joel  Chandler  Harris,  Told  by 
Uncle  Remus,  pp.  151  and  201,  respectively: 

"She  holler  so  loud  dat  Brer  Rabbit,  which  he  wuz 
gwine  by,  got  de  idee  dat  she  wuz  callin'  him." 

"Mr."  Man  look  thoo  de  crack,  an'  he  see  Brer  Wolf, 
which  he  wuz  so  skeer'd  twel  his  eye  look  right  green." 

43.  Although  it  is  true  that  a  personal  pronoun  is  occasion- 
ally used  in  connection  with  the  relative  pleonastically 
or  resuniptively  when  a  phrase  or  clause  is  inserted 
between  the  relative  and  its  predicate  {that .  .  .  he,  etc.), 
it  is  also  to  be  noted  that  it  is  frequently  used  in  imme- 
diate combination  with  the  relative  {that  he,  etc.),  not 
resumptively,  but  to  give  it  a  peculiar  relative,  or  rather 
conjunctival  quality.  When  thus  employed  along  with  a 
negative,  the  combination  seems  to  be  the  equivalent  of  the 
modern  adversative  conjunction  but.  The  combination  is 
thus  used  in  connection  with  some  negative  after: 

A.  Negative  statements: 

For  in  this  world,  certein,  ther  no  wight  is.  That 
he  ne  dooth  or  seith  som-tyme  amis  Frank.  T.  52. 
Note.     The    personal   pronoun    of   the   that  he 
combination  is  frequently  omitted. 

B.  Rhetorical  questions: 

Wher  see  ye  oon,  that  he  ne  hath  laft  his  leef ?  L. 
of  G.  W.  III.  337.  Who  lived  ever  in  swich  delyt 
o  day  That  him  ne  moeved  outher  conscience.  Or 
ire?  M.  of  L.  T.  1038. 

Note.     Very  few  rhetorical  questions  occur. 

44.  A  careful  comparison  beeween  the  relative  constructions 
of  Chaucer  and  Malory  brings  out  the  fact  that  Chaucer 
was  the  greater  master  in  the  art  of  compression  and  sub- 
ordination. His  style  is  more  hypotactic,  there  being 
practically  no  cases  of  clauses  introduced  by  and  he,  and 
she,  etc.,  instead  of  relative  pronouns.  There  are  also 
very  few  cases  of  anacoluthon.     Malory,   on  the  other 


56  Louis  Round  Wilson 

hand,  approaches  the  loose  construction  of  Alfred  at  times 

in  sentences  similar  to  the  following*: 

Now  have  I  that  swerd  that  somtyme  was  the  good 
knyghtes  Balyn  le  Seveage,  and  he  (who)  was  a  pas- 
synge  good  man  of  hishandes  618:6. 

45.  Inasmuch  as  Chaucer  wrote  at  a  time  not  far  removed 
from  the  Old  English  period,  it  is  worthy  of  notice  that 
the  word  order  in  his  relative  clauses  is  similar,  as  a  rule, 
to  that  of  Modern  English,  rather  than  to  that  of  Old 
English.  But  few  examples  are  to  be  found  in  which  the 
transposed  order  of  Old  English  occurs: 

Who  me  chastyseth,  I  him  hate  Ro.  of  R.  3331.  For 
both  have  I  the  wordes  and  sentence  Of  him  that  at 
the  seintes  reverence  The  storie  wroot  S.  N.  T.  82. 

Occasionally  this  transposition  is  due  to  the  requirements 

of  rime: 

Withinne  the  cloistre  blisful  of  thy  sydes  Took 
mannes  shap  the  eternal  love  and  pees,  That  of  the 
tryne  compas  lord  and  gyde  is  S.  N.  T.  45. 

46.  The  fact  that  that  could  not  be  preceded  by  prepositions, 
unless  it  was  equivalent  to  that  which,  was  probably 
responsible  for  the  following  divergences  from  modern 
use: 

A.  The   preposition   stands  near  the  end  of  the  clause 
after  the  verb: 

And  blessed  be  the  yok  that   we  been  inne  Mar. 
T.  593. 

B.  The  preposition  precedes  its  verb: 

The  goode  folk,  that  Poule  to  preched  Ro.  of  R. 
6679. 

Note.  B  occurs  usually  with  verbs  of  telling, 
knowing,  etc.  Occasionally  the  verb  follows  the 
preposition  tomeet  the  requirements  of  rime. 


SUMMARY 

1.  That  is  the  most  frequently  employed  Chaucerian  rela- 
tive. It  is  used  in  restrictive  and  non-restrictive  clauses  alike 
and  refers  occasionally  to  entire  sentences  or  sentence  mem- 
bers. 

2.  The  old  demonstrative  relative  />e  does  not  appear  in 
Chaucer. 

3.  The  pure  interrog^ative-relative  forms,  who,  which,  what, 
though  generally  supposed  to  be  derived  from  general  or 
indefinite  relatives,  are  derived  from  interrogative  pronouns 
used  in  complete  or  emphatic  clauses  in  indirect  discourse. 

4.  Who,  as  a  pure  relative,  in  the  nominative  case,  does 
not  appear  in  Skeat's  edition.  Its  oblique  forms  are  used  fre- 
quently to  refer  to  persons  or  personified  objects,  but  very 
rarely  to  things.  In  an  indefinite  or  general  relative  sense, 
it  occurs  very  frequently.  When  thus  used,  it  is  often  fol- 
lowed by  a  personal  pronoun  in  the  correlative  sentence. 

5.  What  occurs  very  rarely  as  a  pure  relative.  Its  use  as 
an  indefinite  or  general  relative  and  as  a  relative  adjective  is 
frequent. 

6.  Which  is  used  both  as  a  relative  pronoun  and  as  a  rela- 
tive adjective.  It  rarely  refers  to  superlatives  and  interroga- 
tive pronouns.  It  is  constantly  employed  to  refer  to  sentences 
and  sentence  members. 

7.  Whether  does  not  occur  as  a  pure  relative. 

8.  Which  has  greater  carrying  power  than  that,  and  fre- 
quently replaces  it  in  a  sequence  of  relative  clauses  referring 
to  one  antecedent. 

9.  The  general  relatives  whoso,  whatso,  and  their  variant 
forms,  occur  frequently.  Whichso  and  whichsoever  do  not 
occur. 

67 


58  Louis  Round  Wilson 

10.  Relation  is  very  frequently  expressed,  through  as  and 
relative  adverbs. 

11.  Chaucer's  relative  ellipses  present  no  special  pecul- 
iarities. 

12.  Chaucer  occasionally  uses  a  sing-ular  predicate  in  his 
relative  clauses  after  a  plural  antecedent.  His  usag-e,  in  this 
respect,  is  not  unlike  that  of  Malory  or  Shakespeare.  In  a 
very  few  examples,  he  uses  a  plural  predicate  in  the  relative 
clause  after  a  singular  antecedent.  When  the  antecedent  is 
of  the  first  or  second  person  singular,  Chaucer  rarely  violates 
the  concord  of  number  and  person  in  his  relative  predicates. 
Relatives  referring  to  collective  nouns  are  as  a  rule  followed 
by  plural  predicates. 

13.  The  structure  of  Chaucer's  relative  sentence  is  at  times 
very  different  from  that  of  Modern  English.  The  most 
striking  differences  appear  in  the  frequent  use  of  the  oblique 
forms  of  personal  pronouns  used  in  connection  with  the  rela- 
tive that^  rarely  which,,  to  express  the  case  relation  of  the 
relative  to  its  antecedent.  The  combination  that  he  ne,  etc., 
after  negative  statements  and  rhetorical  questions,  is  the 
equivalent  of  the  modern  but,  meaning  who  not. 

14.  Chaucer  exhibits  a  fine  feeling  for  relative  subordina- 
tion. He  permits  anacolutha  to  appear  but  rarely  and  joins 
his  dependent  clauses  to  his  principle  clauses  by  a  hypotactic 
nexus  of  which  Malory  was  wholly  incapable. 

15.  Though  Chaucer  was  not,  in  actual  time,  very  far 
removed  from  the  Old  English  period,  his  word  order  in  rela- 
tive clauses,  when  not  influenced  by  the  demands  of  rime, 
is  very  similar  to  that  of  Modern  English.  Occasionally,  the 
old  transposed  order  occurs  in  the  relative  clause.  IViat,  when 
the  equivalent  of  that  which  or  what,  is  frequently  preceded 
by  a  preposition.  In  very  rare  examples,  that  is  followed  by 
a  verbal  combination  like  of  speke,  in  which  the  preposition 
precedes  the  verb  instead  ol  following  it. 


LIFE 

I  was  born  in  Lenoir,  N.  C,  December  27th,  1876.  After 
attending  several  private  schools,  I  entered  Jlaverford 
Colleg-e,  Haverford,  Penn.,  in  September  of  1895.  Prom  this 
institution,  where  I  held  the  positions  of  assistant  librarian 
and  private  tutor  in  Latin,  I  received  the  "Class  of  1896  Latin 
Prize",  in  June,  1897.  Leaving-  Haverford  at  the  end  of  my 
third  year,  I  entered  the  senior  class  of  the  University 
of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel  Hill*  the  following  Sep- 
tember. I  received  the  degree  of  A.B.  in  1899,  and 
was  awarded  the  "Hume  Essay  Medal"  for  special  work  in 
English.  During  the  year  1899-1900,  I  was  Principal  of  Vine 
Hill  Male  Academy,  Scotland  Neck,  N.  C,  a  position  which  I 
resigned  to  become  instructor  in  English  at  Catawba  College, 
Newton,  N.  C.  In  September,  1901,  I  returned  to  the  Uni- 
versity to  become  its  librarian,  a  position  which  I  still  hold. 
In  1902, 1  received  the  degree  of  A.M.  after  pursuing  graduate 
courses  in  English,  Greek,  and  Latin.  In  1904,  I  received 
"The  Early  English  Text  Society  Prize"  for  work  in  Old 
and  Middle  English. 

To  all  of  my  instructors,  and  especially  to  Dr.  C.  Alphonso 
Smith,  Dr.  Thomas  Hume,  and  Professor  W.  D.  Toy,  under 
whom  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  pursue  the  courses  leading 
to  this  dissertation,  I  am  deeply  indebted,  both  for  wise 
guidance  in  study  and  for  the  sympathetic  interest  and  unfail- 
ing kindness  which  have  at  all  times  characterized  their  rela- 
tions to  me.  Louis  Round  Wilson. 

Chapel  Hill,  N.  C, 
May  15,  1905. 

59 


INDEX 


And  he,  etc.,  55. 

As,  8ft-88,  39. 

As  who  saith,  28,  28. 

But,  56,  58. 

I^kewhat,  25. 

Loke  who,  17. 

Se  fe,  26. 

That,  V,  6-12,  82-83,  39,  66,  67-58. 

That  he  ne,  49,  55,  58. 

That  ...  he,  etc  ,  49,  54-66. 

That ...  his,  etc.,  60-51,  54,  68. 

pe.  12,  57. 

The  which,  26. 

The  whom,  28. 

The  whos,  19. 

Ther,  89. 

Whan,  89. 

What,  18-15,  24-26,  67. 

Whatever,  26,  86. 

Whatso,  84-86,  67. 


What-som-ever,  25. 
Which,  9, 11, 18,  26-80,  32-38,  67-68. 
Which  he,  etc.,  54-56. 
Which  .  .  .  his,  etc.,  51,  53,  54,  58. 
Whichso,  85,  57. 
Whichsoever,  85,  67. 
Who,  18-18,  82-38,  34,  57. 
Who  not,  58. 
Whoever,  34. 

Whom,  16,  19-23,  38,  50,  54,  67. 
Whos,  16,  18-19,  60,  54,  57. 
Whoso,  34,  57. 
Whoso  list,  28. 
Whosoever,  34. 
Whennes,  40. 
Wher,  89. 

•Whether,  30-31,57. 
Whider,  40. 
Why,  39. 


60 


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